


The Pandora Project

by Kahnah



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Blood, Demon AU, Demon Hunters, Gen, Guns, Jeremy centric, Star-crossed multiverse, Violence, a bit dark here and there, bc fun stuff happens, bc it was ABOUT TIME FOR THAT, some relationship but it's only background so I didn't add it in, the guys contracted demons who give them powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-07-30 01:00:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 56,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16275947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kahnah/pseuds/Kahnah
Summary: Pandora is a secret project that is in control of the portals scattered across the globe, which connect our world to another realm called The Nether. The Nether contains horrible demons that infest humans who dare to step through the portals.Jeremy Dooley is one of Pandora's hunters, that search and take out demons. Now he is introduced to a special task force - a team of demons hunting for Pandora - to keep an eye on them after one of their members disappeared without a trace.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So here we go again, friends and enemies.
> 
> Finally something Jeremy-centric, I know some of you have waited for that way too long. This story shouldn't be super long but I'm always saying that. I'm writing another story as well but I have no idea when that will see the light of day but keep an eye out.
> 
> So yeah - back in the business, baby!

The Pandora Project

 

Chapter 1

 

Jeremy got out of the car and took a deep breath. The house in front of him wasn‘t as he expected but truth be told, he didn‘t really know what he had expected in the first place.

It looked like a small hostel, tucked away from the city, maybe for people who loved the quiet or something. There wasn‘t much around here besides a few hiking trails but even those were closed as far as he had seen while driving here.

Kuebiko had quietly closed off this area and for all Jeremy knew, nobody had noticed a thing. It was for the public safety, he knew that, and that only made him question his own decision more.

What was he doing here and why the fuck had he asked to stay here? As a volunteer! He wished he could say that he had been drunk or even high but he had thought long and hard about it.

Now there was no going back, and as he took his bag from the trunk, he made sure that his gun was on his hip. That surely wouldn‘t make a good first expression, but he couldn‘t deny the shiver that worked down his spine whenever he glanced at the house.

It wasn‘t run down, maybe that was it. In his head he had expected a rundown, old ruin or even a forgotten, dusty castle. This here looked homey.

„Okay, enough stalling,“ he mumbled to himself and threw his bag over his shoulder.

Before he could reach the front door, it opened, and again he took a deep breath. The man who waited for him was taller than him, which honestly didn‘t mean much, but he did recognize him from the photos.

„Ramsey?“

„Geoff is fine,“ the man said and held out his hand. Jeremy quickly took it.

„So you‘re Jeremy Dooley? I heard you‘ll stay with us for a while.“

Geoff‘s grip was firm but Jeremy kept his smile. Hogan had warned him that he wouldn‘t be very welcome here, but he usually wasn‘t when he was working.

„Only until matters are clear or I‘m of more use elsewhere.“

„Come in then.“

Geoff stepped inside and Jeremy entered the house.

Maybe it really had been a hostel before. There was a wooden reception area that was now more or less a bar. A glass door lead into a big room that might have been a dining room before.

What really grabbed his attention, though, was the darkness in here, like someone had drawn all the blinds. It wasn‘t even noon; was everyone here nocturnal? That wouldn‘t even surprise him!

„I guess I should show you to your room first. Then you can put down your bag.“ Geoff went up a flight of wooden stairs and Jeremy hurried to catch up to him.

„Is it normal that it‘s so dark in here?“ he asked and felt a bit ridiculous when Geoff started to chuckle.

„Of course not. The assholes just want to creep you out. Thinking about it, I‘m pretty sure I saw Michael and Gavin with a bottle of fake blood. Watch out for that.“

Jeremy laughed nervously, a bit unsure if that was meant as a joke or not, but Geoff just threw him a short glance. What was that supposed to mean? But now they finally reached the second floor and yeah, totally a hostel or something like that.

There were a handful of rooms on each side of the hallway with little signs on them. Because of the dim lighting he couldn‘t see what was on them, but he figured it was room numbers.

Geoff opened a door nearly all the way in the back for him and pointed inside.

„Nobody’s used this room yet and I made sure that none of the idiots got the key for this, so there shouldn‘t be any blood on the floor or whatever.“

„How reassuring...“ Jeremy mumbled and asked himself again why he agreed on this.

„They‘re all downstairs, so feel free to settle in and join us when you‘re ready. I figured you might want to meet your new roommates first before we begin working.“

Yeah... meeting them was something he wasn‘t quite looking forward to, and even though he really didn‘t want to show how nervous he was, he couldn‘t help but ask, „They aren‘t... dangerous, are they?“

Geoff watched him with big eyes. They were of a nearly unnatural blue and Jeremy had a feeling they could see right through him.

„Of course they are,“ Geoff finally said, and moved past him and back to the stairs.

„They‘re demons after all.“

 

* * *

 

Demons could only survive in the Nether. A different dimension that resided next to this earth and was only recently discovered. Under normal circumstances the two worlds weren‘t connected and neither human nor demons could travel from one place to another.

The only exception were the portals. Seven in total scattered around the world even though Kuebiko expected there to be more, hidden in remote areas all around the globe.

With those portals both sides were able to cross over to the other dimension but thankfully demons weren‘t able to survive on this plane of existence.

At least not without a host.

If a human came into contact with a demon and become possessed, there was no known way to separate them anymore, and so the human ceased to be, leaving behind a demon with a human face.

They had already been the cause of great tragedy in recent years. Creatures who were out for humans and lived in the dark with far greater powers than a body should contain.

So twenty years ago Kuebiko funded the Pandora Project - an organization that found and hunted those demons down. Thanks to their actions they managed to keep the Nether and the portals a secret and stopped a public panic.

Now they were operating across the globe to research and hopefully close the portals in the near future.

Jeremy had kinda stumbled into this organization by accident. He had worked as a simple police officer out in the countryside, where the most exciting things that happened was the robbery of the local grocery store.

That was until he had come head first into contact with a demon.

After that encounter he had asked one too many questions and now he was here, five years later in a house full of demons.

These though, were on their side, at least Hogan had assured him of that.

He could only hope that his boss was right and he could get out of here alive.

The room Geoff provided him was like he expected it. It was small but clean, no blood to be seen, which was a relief. A double bed in one corner, a desk in the other and a bathroom with a shower right next to it. It was all he would need for his stay here.

He let his bag drop next to the bed but didn't bother with unpacking. He only placed his laptop onto the desk and then looked outside.

The view wasn't half bad. Forests as far as he could see and Los Santos was only a shadow in the west. Nobody would bother them out here.

"Alright," he mumbled to himself. “Let’s do this."

The longer he hid in here, the more obvious it would be. These were the people he chose to work with for the foreseeable future and he wanted to face them with an open mind but with enough caution.

He had witnessed too often what demons could do, and still he placed his gun on his bedside table. He would step into a room full of demons; a single gun wouldn't do much.

Getting out of his room, the first thing he heard was a woman yelling which honestly didn't help his nerves. It at least showed him the way and only when he was on the stairs he managed to grasp the words.

"-can't believe how childish you two are! Actually, I can! Doesn't mean I have to accept that you trash this place like the absolute idiots you are! What did you expect would happen?"

There was a pause for an answer but if it came, Jeremy didn't hear it before the woman continued, "Don't give me that look and get to work because neither of you two will leave this room until I say so!"

Jeremy opened the door to the living room and alright, there was the blood. It was on the wall in big bold letters that read for whatever reason _Turn Away ._

It had dripped onto the wooden floor and there sat two men, scrubbing furiously to get the mess clean. Over them towered the woman he had already heard from above and was watching like a hawk.

She was also the only one who noticed him coming inside. Her red hair was in a pixie cut and with her heels she was a head taller than him as she walked towards him.

"You must be Jeremy. I'm Jack."

Her hand and forearm were covered by a thin leather glove but Jeremy shook it anyway. Some demons used different body parts as a catalyzer for their powers and concealed them like this. Hands were pretty common for that.

"Nice to meet you."

"Is the room to your liking? I hope these idiots didn't managed to sneak into it as well."

Said idiots had also noticed now and watched him from where they were still sitting on the floor, drops of fake blood all over them.

Jeremy waved at them a bit awkwardly.

"Everything is fine, thank you."

"Good." Jack smiled at him and as kind as that smile was, he could see the steel beneath. After all, he had heard her yell before, and even the other two only dared to get to their feet once she nodded at them.

The first one would look like a proper asshole if it wasn't for them messy fake blood all over him that kinda destroyed what he was going for. Bleached hair with sunglasses on top, an expensive button down together with a way too tight jeans.

The second guy was more up Jeremy's alley. A shirt with Kirby on it and comfortable pants. He had reddish curls and tried to wipe his hand on his jeans without much success.

"I'm Michael," he introduced himself and then pointed sheepishly to the mess in the back of the room. "Sorry for wanting to keep the aesthetic of demons and shit. I figured you'd expect something like that."

"Well it did feel like I was in a movie," Jeremy said but couldn't deny that he felt a bit relieved. So far Michael and Jack seemed alright and before he could turn to the last guy, Michael interrupted him, "That asshole is Gavin. This was his idea by the way, and for the next few days he will act like he hates your guts but that's mostly just because he's super awkward around new people."

"Michael!" Gavin screeched and blushed a deep red.

"Don't act like it isn't true."

"It's not."

"It’s tota-"

"Alright," Jack interrupted them and waved them away. "You still got shit to clean, so I say you better get going."

"But Jack-"

"What did you expect to happen? That it would just disappear?"

"Well..."

She shushed them away and Jeremy watched how both of them quickly got back to work. That was kinda impressive, considering that all three of them were... well, dangerous demons that had to be locked away from society and stuff. Maybe Jack was just way more dangerous then the two of them, and thinking back to her smile, Jeremy might just believe that.

Once she made sure that the two of them were back at work, Jack turned towards him.

"Geoff's office is down the hall, you can't miss it. If you want to talk about him about everything, he is in there."

 

* * *

  


"My team consists of one category green demon, one yellow and two red demons," Geoff explained to him. "Are you familiar with the categories?"

"Green means a harmless demon, yellow is dangerous and red is extremely dangerous," Jeremy said. That was basic knowledge but until now he hadn't been informed that there were two fucking red demons in here! Until now he had only heard stories about them but thankfully never faced one before.

Geoff's office was a bit of a mess. His desk was overflowing with different files and Jeremy had to wonder if there was even a keyboard beneath for the computer, because he sure as hell couldn't see one.

Geoff had asked him to sit down on the other side of the table and had just started explaining the team to him. Now he leaned ahead.

"Just so you know, we might have dangerous demons here but they are good people deep inside. I know that you've probably seen enough shit out there to not believe me, but they are in control and I won't accept any form of violence from any side in here. I won't hesitate to send you back, no matter the orders, if you make any problems. Same goes for one of the others."

"That's fine."

Geoff threw him a long look before he nodded to himself and leaned back in his chair.

"Good to hear. So what kind of demons have you hunted before?"

"I've dealt with category yellow ones."

"Did you kill them?"

"Of course, they're too dangerous to keep around," Jeremy said.

"Then you might have to get used to some new rules here," Geoff told him. "There are only two teams like ours that contain demons themselves around Los Santos. Us and another group up north, that we keep close contact to. We are used to hunt down the really dangerous ones. And sometimes we get the order to catch them alive."

That was... scary to think about. He had always been glad when he sunk a bullet into one of those creatures and they finally collapsed. Sometimes they took way more shots than they had any right to.

Maybe Geoff could see his hesitation because he smiled a bit ruefully.

"It's what you signed up for, Jeremy, but I'm not a cruel man. I know why you were sent here by Hogan and if you want to bail out on any mission, I'll let you go no questions asked. Hogan doesn't have to know about that but I prefer you here than dead."

"That's very kind of you but I'm sure that I can take it," Jeremy told him but appreciated the offer. Until now he hadn't backed down from a challenge but he wasn't stupid either. He was human, not like those demons and he also prefered being alive over dead.

"Good to hear. As for why you're really here..." Geoff turned away to rummage through his drawers and Jeremy sat up straight. When Geoff put a folder in front of him, he immediately recognized the name on it.

"Ray Narvaez," Geoff said. "A class green demon that worked for both teams and Kuebiko at the same time, wherever he was needed. He disappeared three months ago without so much as a clue."

"He was working for you right before he disappeared," Jeremy told him slowly. "Kuebiko is very interested in finding him again."

"Of course they are," Geoff huffed. "All I can tell you is that I most certainly am not hiding him here but they won't believe me, so they sent you here to find out what we know. Well, this folder contains all I do know, so feel free to take it."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

"Sure." It sounded dismissive but Jeremy had expected that much. "Michael and I will also head out tomorrow to try and catch a category yellow demon.Your call."

"I'll come with you."

"Then you should rest early tonight."

 

Back in his room he flipped through Ray’s folder but it wasn't anything he didn't know yet. Kuebiko had done its fair share of research because Ray Narvaez had been the first demon under their control that had disappeared right underneath their nose.

As a class green demon he hadn't been as well-secured as the higher ones but he had an implanted chip that should always transmit his position. They had found said chip on the side of a busy highway with no other traces around. Ray had probably hitchhiked into another city but Kuebiko was sure that someone from this team still kept in contact with him. After all, it showed in the records how close Ray had been with them, and Jeremy also believed that Ray had some help in his flight.

The chip was implanted in the spine, a careful procedure that would make sure that removing the chip would come with devastating injuries. It was usually fool proof.

Unfortunately Ray's deal with a demon allowed him to heal at an alarming rate. Kinda a flaw in the system in retroperspective.

So Ray had managed to rip the chip out; either with or without any help, and had disappeared into the night.

Jeremy was pretty sure that it hadn't been a solo job.

Now with his healing abilities Ray wasn't necessarily dangerous but was instead oh so useful for the Pandora Project. Of course Kuebiko wanted him back. Jeremy was here to search for any clues where he might be so that he could bring him back.

But that wasn't the only thing he wanted from him, and he stopped towards the end of the folder. There, nearly as a side note, it said that Ray was a volunteer. One of a handful of people who came to Kuebiko to contract a demon on his own account and also agreed to use his powers for the project.

Something about that wouldn't let him go, and he was pretty sure that Ray wasn't the only one in this team who had done that.

It was no secret that a few years ago Kuebiko had searched for volunteers for this project. People who agreed to go through the portal in hope of contracting a demon. If they succeeded, Kuebiko would research, categorize, and use them for the Pandora Project.

It was a weird enough offer because there was no way to back out once you were in the project. You went into the portal and you either got out or not. Jeremy wasn't sure how high the mortality rate had been, but considering that no one talked about it, he guessed pretty high. There was no guarantee that you would be able to contract a demon or find your way back once you were in the Nether. There wasn't even a guarantee that Pandora would choose to keep you alive.

If the volunteer would be too dangerous or couldn't control his powers they were killed on the spot. Too dangerous to keep alive.

And even with all that, people went and took the offer. Jeremy couldn't quite imagine how desperate a person had to be to take such a one way ticket but it had happened and Ray had been one of those people.

Now though, he had found a way out and had slipped through the cracks. Of course Pandora wasn't happy about that.

Thankfully Ray wouldn't be in any danger even if he was found. His abilities were just too useful. That might be another reason why he dared to run away.

Closing his folder, Jeremy leaned back in his chair.

As for the others he had met until now, they seemed alright and not out for his blood, which was reassuring at least. Of course Hogan had assured him that they were in control, otherwise Pandora wouldn't work together with them, but that didn't mean a lot. He had heard rumors about demons who went feral and just took over, even after months of control. When a demon snapped like that, it was nearly impossible to bring them back to their senses, so he would keep alert.

There was a knock on the door and confused he got up to answer it.

"Um, hi," said the man in front of him, and great, was everyone taller than him here?

"I'm Ryan, we haven't met yet."

"Jeremy." He held out his hand and Ryan, who was built like a brick wall, actually took a step back. At least he had the decency to smile sheepishly at that.

"Sorry, it's better if we don't touch. Please don't take offense."

"Oh... no, it's alright." His eyes jumped to Ryan's hands but they weren't covered like Jack's had been.

"Thanks. So, I was on a food haul while I was allowed out of here but I didn't know what you eat or not, so I just bought a bunch," Ryan said a bit awkwardly and that instantly made him more sympathetic. "There should be some for everyone unless... well, if you're a vegetarian, then it might be a bit harder bu-"

"It's fine. I'm not picky."

Ryan visibly relaxed at that, kinda as if he had panicked over that whole way home. "Oh thank God. Anyway it's downstairs, so if you're hungry."

"Thanks. I'll be sure to check it out later."

Ryan smiled at him before walking back alone very awkwardly. Jeremy helped him and closed the door.

That had been a very thoughtful gesture, and in general everyone seemed rather nice to him, maybe not so much the whole blood aesthetic thing, but in general. Still, he wouldn't go down there now when they were all getting ready to eat. Not only would he surely make things more tense, they all knew why he was here and getting in there right now wouldn't work in his favor.

As nice as they all were, he was clearly the outsider here and wouldn't bother trying to hide it. He and Pandora were sure that Ray either had help from these people or they knew his current location. Of course they would protect their friend and already eyed him suspiciously, so there was no reason to really make them mad at him.

So he would stay here pretending to work until the others were done and get something then. For now he wanted to keep his distance.

All of these people here would make absolutely sure to not even mention Ray's name with him around, so he had to at least get them to relax if he wanted to have any success.

On a mission maybe, when their minds were focused on something else or another opportunity would come up. He didn't really have a plan for that, impossible without knowing these people better, but he had time.

They couldn't keep their ruse up forever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who already know about the multiverse pls don't spoiler new readers in your comments? I'm realizing that might be an issue, whoops. 
> 
> Also it said 'Turn Away' because Gavin wanted to write 'turn around' and Michael wanted to write 'Go Away' and they are both idiots


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Let's catch a demon then!"

Chapter 2

 

When Geoff had told him to rest early in case he wanted to join them the next morning, Jeremy figured it was because they were heading out early. But when he stepped into the kitchen around 6 am, he was the only one there. Surely it couldn't be that much longer though, right?

Over an hour later Ryan joined him but thankfully didn't comment on it. Maybe he just figured he was as much of an early bird as him because apparently Ryan was awake on his own free will. Weird.

Now Jeremy could ask him when Geoff and Michael planned to head out, but he felt too awkward so they quietly drank the coffee Jeremy had made.

Shortly after he began to panic that maybe he had actually been too late and the other two had already headed off without him, but then Michael stepped into the kitchen.

He seemed surprised enough that Jeremy was already up but made no move to get going. He was actually still wearing his sleeping clothes, a comfy looking wife beater and pyjama pants, and clearly hadn't taken care of his hair yet.

Somehow that made Jeremy feel like an asshole because he was clearly the only one dressed for the day already.

Michael and Ryan fell into an easy conversation by the time Jeremy got his third cup of coffee and mostly kept out of it. He usually was a morning person, but not _this_ early.

"When did you guys plan to head out?" he asked casually, something that he clearly should have done sooner. He knew that, but he had just expected them to be out of the house by 7am.

Maybe Michael knew exactly what was going on because Jeremy was sure he could see the hint of a smile on his face before he hid it behind his mug.

"We expect the girl around 10 am, so we'll head out around 9."

Fantastic.

He didn't even want to count how many more hours of sleep that would have meant for him. Even more so because he had slept like shit. Nobody slept well in an unknown place and the thought that there were demons all around had kept him awake for hours.

Slowly the other people in the house woke up as well. Geoff joined them with a huge yawn before taking his coffee to wherever. Gavin wasn't a morning person either. He stopped dead as he came into the kitchen and spotted Jeremy. It was as if he had to figure out who Jeremy even was before huffing annoyedly. He went to make himself some tea without another word, and maybe because of that rude entry, Jeremy couldn't help himself.

"How is the wall in the living room looking? Got the blood off?" he asked and saw how Gavin tensed.

"No way," Michael answered for him. "We only made it worse with the scrubbing and now the wallpaper is ruined. I figured we would just paint over it or something."

"Let's make it a hot pink for Geoff," Gavin said. He stepped closer to the table but stayed behind Ryan, far enough away from Jeremy. "Or how about gold?"

"There's no golden color."

"Of course there is! It would look so good, Michael!"

"It would look like everything about you looks," Michael said wisely and pointed with his mug towards Gavin. "And with that I mean it will look like shit."

Gavin gasped, offended, and instantly pulled on Ryan's chair.

"Ryan! Tell him that's not true!"

"We won't get a golden wall," he just said, and pouting, Gavin took his tea and stormed off.

Amused Jeremy watched him leave just in time to see Jack come down the stairs. She stopped to talk with Gavin for a while and Jeremy had to admit that he was surprised. He had figured that Jack would be the first one awake and not the last, but the longer he watched her, the more he noticed how pale she was.

Maybe that was just the cold light coming from outside and he hadn't really paid attention to it yesterday but she did look exhausted when she stepped in and greeted them.

Michael quickly jumped up to grab her a coffee.

"How's work doing?" Ryan asked when she sat down with a sigh.

"Going fine. I could knock some orders out already but it will take me a while longer." She rubbed her hands together, which were still hidden beneath her gloves.

"They shouldn't expect so many weapons on such a short notice."

"Well, we can't change that now."

"You were already working?" Jeremy asked, and Jack turned to him.

"The sooner I start, the sooner I'll be done," she told him. "I usually work from here, but I might actually have to head down to the Pandora headquarters for a few days. I still remember how this house looked like after I was gone the last time." She actually shook herself at the thought. "Ryan was in charge while Geoff and I were gone, and he apparently lost control half an hour after we left."

"Absolutely not true."

"Tell yourself that," Michael said as he placed a fresh mug in front of Jack. "I tried to keep the chaos at bay but I can only do so much."

"At least you cleaned up the mess you made," Jack admitted. "So I would like to stay here because I got quite a headache the last time I came back and had to yell at them to put the house together. You'd think they're kids or something."

"It wasn't even that bad," Ryan still tried to tell her, but she just waved at him.

"You're usually not on missions, Jack?" Jeremy asked, and she shook her head.

"I can shoot a gun, but I'm not much use out there. My gift isn't useful for hunting like that." She smiled at him and touched his arm. "I'll show you later if you some time, but I'll probably be too busy for the next few days."

"Sounds good." Up until now he hadn't seen any of their so called gifts, and granted it wouldn't help him much on his mission... but who was he kidding? He was curious, that was all. He had spent a long time hunting demons but never had a chance to actually understand them. When he was sent to kill a demon, there really wasn't a time for smalltalk with them. He was lucky if he knew their powers beforehand and could prepare accordingly.

Through it all he was still fascinated by those creatures.

 

It was nearly 9 o'clock and Jeremy was sitting on the stairs waiting while Geoff was getting ready. Michael was standing by the door and was playing on his phone, but something about him was off. He seemed nervous and was throwing looks up the stairs.

Maybe he was new to this kind of work. Jeremy honestly had no idea how long this team had been together for and how many missions they had already gone on.

"Everything okay?" he asked finally, just because it was also unnerving him now.

"Yeah. It's just that thing." Michael nodded up to a metallic looking box above the door and Jeremy frowned.

"The alarm system?"

That made Michael laugh and he pushed himself off the door. "It's not there to keep people out, it's here to assure that we don't leave this place without permission." He placed his foot on the steps and pulled up his pants leg. Above his ankle was some sort of cuff. It was white and looked kinda heavy. There was a single red light glowing.

"It sends a signal if you leave this house?" Jeremy asked as he leaned ahead. The skin around it looked red and irritated, but before he could take a closer look, Michael pulled his jeans down again.

"It explodes if I leave this house."

"What?"

"Exactly that." Shrugging, he sat down next to Jeremy. "I figured you knew that."

"I had no idea!" And that was the truth. Even though it made sense to not just let demons run around on their own free will, that seemed kinda extreme.

"It's because I'm in the yellow class. Dangerous and all that shit," Michael continued. "Even though I think I'm not as dangerous as I am hard to catch in case I get away, but it means the same in the end. They wanna make sure I stay right where they want me to be."

"That's..." Jeremy began, but then didn't know what he wanted to say. That was cruel.

"It's usually fine, I guess but whenever I have to go out I get nervous. Of course I have permission to go on this mission and sometimes I'm allowed to go outside on my own, to get groceries or something, but the moments before I go through this door are still pretty jarring. To think about someone in headquarters forgetting to check something off in the system or whatever and this cuff activating is sickening."

Still, when Michael turned towards him, he was still smiling. "I mean, it's only my foot. If we act quickly enough I should be able to survive. Class red demons have no chance whatsoever. I still wouldn't want to give it a try, you know?"

"Yeah..."

A door opened above them and they both turned around. It was Geoff and instantly Michael tensed again.

"We can go now if you guys got everything."

Jeremy got up and went for the door, but then hesitated. After learning what he knew now, he didn't even dare to pull the door open. What if it would somehow trigger Michael's cuff?

Maybe Michael could tell exactly what he was thinking, because he threw him a nearly mocking grin that fell flat. He also didn't go for the door and instead turned to Geoff.

"You've got permission. I called again to make sure," Geoff assured him right away.

"Alright."

Geoff was the one who pulled open the door now but he held Jeremy back when he tried to go. No, they both waited while Michael stepped through first, and it slowly dawned to Jeremy, that they were trying to keep some distance in case the cuff really did explode.

But Michael just walked across the threshold and then jumped down the steps. Once he landed, he took a deep breath and turned around. The nervousness from before was gone, and even though he was still a bit pale, his grin was real this time around.

"Let's catch a demon then!"

 

While they drove, Jeremy looked out of the window but couldn't really concentrate. The cuff wouldn't leave him alone. What major damage a small mistake could do.

Nobody had told him about the cuffs before, only about the implanted chips. The demons were locked away in this house to keep the public safe, which made sense, but they were already so far away from people and civilization. Why not at least allow them to walk around the boundaries of the property? It would be a small thing, sure but at least something.

Staying in the house until the next mission sounded dull.

On the other hand Ryan had said that he had been out to get food yesterday, so maybe they got some free days or something.

If possible he would ask one of them later.

Still, that made Ray's disappearance only stranger, didn't it? Not only did Ray rip out his chip, he also had to deal with his cuff. True, he had been out on a mission, so he was out of this house already, but surely the cuffs could explode remotely as well.

Ray could heal, maybe even recover from such severe injuries, but he still felt the pain. Had he been so desperate to get away?

In the front of the car Michael and Geoff were talking amongst themselves, but Jeremy barely paid any attention to them. He was sitting in the back and imagined what it was like to be trapped like that. Now though, Geoff called his name.

"You've got your gun?"

"Of course."

"Good." Geoff glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Demons have to concentrate to use their gifts. When we find her I want you to shoot her so that she can't get away. Make sure it's non lethal though because Pandora wants to take a look at her."

"Alright."

"Michael and I will get her then. She's a yellow class demon and not too dangerous. Still, I want you guys to be careful."

He parked the car and Jeremy got out with the others. They were closer to Los Santos now but in one of its suburbs by the looks of it. Looking around, Jeremy saw a mall down the street and smaller shops on both sides.

"Pretty crowded," Michael mumbled, and Geoff nodded.

"Not the ideal place."

"It's too public. Can't we get her another time?" Jeremy also protested.

"We only know about this routine of hers and we can't wait in risk of her changing places. Took long enough to find her in the first place."

Begrudgingly, Jeremy kept quiet. That made sense but he didn't have to like it. He hated the thought of having to fire a weapon with so many civilians around. Whenever he had hunted down a demon before, he had always faced them somewhere remotely. He had heard of demons who could leave horrible damage if they wanted to.

Geoff stopped on the corner of the street and then nodded to a sign on a building. It was a welcome sign of a soup kitchen, and Jeremy stopped next to him.

"Guess even demons have to eat."

"Getting a job while you're on the run is hard, so most demons steal to get by," Michael explained to him.

"Or they kill."

"Or that," Geoff agreed. "There she comes. Red rain coat."

She was young, that was the first thing Jeremy noticed. She hid her face beneath the hood of the red rain coat but couldn't hide that fact. Not older than 18 with short brown hair and tan skin.

How did someone so young get into such a mess? How did she get into contact with a portal?

He didn't want to shoot her, that was the second thing on his mind. She didn't look any different than the other people heading towards the soup kitchen. A little bit lost and scared by the way she was looking around. Her eyes traveled over them but didn't stick, like she knew she had to be careful but didn't know exactly what she was looking for.

Still, he took a hold of his weapon and aimed for her leg.

"Freeze!"

Calling that was more reflex than anything else. After all he would shoot her anyway to keep her from using her gift. Next to him Geoff gasped and that made him hesitate, thinking that maybe they had the wrong person, and he certainly wouldn't want to risk that!

The girl looked up in shock, her gray eyes wide, and beneath the left one were fine black lines that were maybe supposed to be wings but he only caught a glimpse of them.

Because in the next second the girl was gone.

She had disappeared into thin air along with her red rain coat and Jeremy stood there, aiming at nothing.

The people around had stopped in their tracks and were staring at him like he was insane, which was fair enough. Some were whispering in fear and before he could react, someone grasped his collar and pulled him away.

Behind him he could hear Michael starting to laugh, and as he finally lowered his gun, Jeremy turned around.

"Wha-"

"Teleporter," Geoff told him as he dragged him along. "That girl is a teleporter. I guess you didn't read the files?"

"What?" Jeremy asked again, and Michael snorted.

"Dude, your face! I wish I'd taken a photo! Gavin would have loved it!"

Ignoring Michael, he said, "I didn't get any files!"

"They were in the car right next to you."

That made him fall silent because he wasn't sure. Maybe there had been stuff on the back seats but he wasn't going to just look through their stuff.

"You should have told me!" he exclaimed then because really, it was Geoff's mission and that sounded like pretty vital information!

"Maybe you should have asked?" Geoff just said.

Now they were nearly back at the car and finally he let him go. To Jeremy's surprise Geoff didn't look pissed about this whole deal and Michael was still giggling next to him.

"You figured that would happen..." Jeremy said slowly as he looked from one to the other.

"Actually hoped I could film it but you jumped right into it," Michael admitted amused.

"We gave you every opportunity to figure it out. If you would have asked, I'd have told you everything," Geoff just said and pointed through the car window. Sure enough there laid a spare jacket from someone and a pile of files.

Still, no way Jeremy would just dig through them!

"Oh I get it. Jokes on the new guy," he spat and pulled the car door open to drop into the back seat. "Gotta make him look stupid! Was that really worth fucking this mission over for it?"

"Better this one than a more dangerous demon," Michael said and Jeremy huffed.

"Any chance she is at least still around somewhere?"

"We don't know how far she can teleport so searching for her now will be impossible," Geoff told him as he sat down behind the wheel. "Also she won't be stupid enough to show herself on the street right now."

"Fuck!" Jeremy yelled and hit his fist against the seats. "We let a dangerous demon escape for some stupid fucking prank?"

"She's hardly dangerous as a teleporter. Let her run around some more before Pandora catches her," Geoff said. "But your face was really priceless."

He couldn't believe it! How could they be so careless?

How could _he_ be so careless. After all he had gone out there without having all the information available. He just hadn't want to be too pushy, to be the guy who put his nose into everyone's business. If there was such vital information Geoff should have told him!

But now it clearly showed that they hadn't planned to have any success with this mission at all. No, they had just waited for him to screw it up and he was the idiot who was awake since 5am!

Letting his head fall against the seat, he glared up at the ceiling of the car.

Michael was obviously still greatly amused by the whole thing and was typing on his phone while Geoff began to drive them back. Of course the others at the base would know about this and surely had been in on it. Oh how funny it must have been for them to see him sit down in the kitchen for hours, just waiting to get going.

And maybe Jeremy was angry at himself. It was hardly the first time he was the new guy somewhere and had had tricks played on him. Like that one time he was sent to collect that drug dealer only to end up barging into church in the middle of mass. Also he had played along with other new guys as well because it was just part of it, okay?

Maybe he should have expected it, but they weren't fresh cadets anymore, they were fucking professionals. Least of all he hadn't thought Geoff would do it; after all he was in control of a bunch of demons!

But here he was now, listening to the radio someone had put on and started to feel awkwardly aware of how he had screwed up. The file still sat beside him but he didn't want to give them the satisfaction of taking it and looking through it.

Maybe Geoff could sense that because he said, "We'll get her again. She wasn't very stealthy to begin with. It's only a question of time."

"We could have had her right now."

"How boring would that be though?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes and turned his head to look out of the window. The sky was gray and he expected it to rain soon. The girl had worn a red raincoat especially for that, even though she could just disappear to somewhere more sunny.

"I don't think she can teleport far away," he said slowly.

"Not yet," Geoff agreed. "She isn't out of the Nether for long. Appeared three weeks ago at Pandora's nearest portal but disappeared in front of their eyes."

"Kinda like right now," Michael threw in helpfully, and Jeremy pulled a face at him.

"You have to train gifts to develop them further," Geoff just went on. "One day she might be able to cross the globe in one blink, but only if she stays dedicated to it."

"That's why Pandora wants her alive."

"Of course. She can be very useful as a messenger or a weapon."

"Endless freedom," Michael mumbled. "At least until they get a cuff on her. Then Pandora pulls the strings." His amusement from before was gone as Michael watched the first drop of rain hit the windows. "Poor girl."

Geoff threw him a short glance but didn't say anything. Jeremy also felt a little too awkward, but then sat up and turned to Geoff.

"You don't want to capture her at all, do you?"

"What I want doesn't matter. I'm just doing my job."

"You're doing an awful job."

"I wasn't the one who screwed up."

Jeremy nodded, because that was true. Both Michael and Geoff had just watched him and hadn't necessarily stopped him, but they also hadn't encouraged him. It had been a game and he had lost, simple as that.

He noticed that Geoff was watching him through the rear view mirror.

"Are you going to report that to Hogan?"

As if he could.

"No."

"Good."

 

Once they reached the base again, Jeremy went straight to his room. He really could do without them poking fun at him and the moment he stepped inside and saw the nearly greedy look in Gavin's face, he knew he wouldn't get around it.

So he had just thrown himself onto his bed and groaned. This day was shit, easy as that. Not enough sleep and way too early to wake up and that wasn't even counting the mess with the mission.

Also he felt embarrassed. What a fucking rookie mistake!

This girl was somewhere still in the city but she would move away soon, right? Maybe that was Geoff's goal, if she disappeared out of his area another team would have to deal with her.

What a damn joke.

So he laid there for a while, pitying himself and trying to ignore that he was hungry. He wouldn't be able to avoid the others forever, but he could damn well try.

He hadn't expected they would come to him just to rub it in his face, but there was a knock on his door soon after.  For a moment he considered not answering it at all, but being a sore loser wouldn't help him much.

"Jeremy? Can I come in?"

It was Jack on his door, and he perked up. He hadn't expected _her_ to come for him but now he was intrigued. Standing up, he opened the door and kinda expected an ambush, but it was just her.

She smiled at him but only came inside when he gestured to her that it was alright.

"I hope you aren't too mad at us," she began right away. "It's petty and childish what we did, but lets face it, it gets very boring being locked in here. Pandora has so much control over us and then they sent someone in to watch us even here, in the last safe haven for us... of course we were frustrated."

“That’s hardly a reason to fail a mission like that.”

“It kinda is.” She said down at his table. “Like I said, the guys are frustrated with you being here. It’s not your fault of course, but it’s not like we have another scapegoat. Geoff allowed them to pull this off to protect you. Now you guys are even and neither of them will take some form of revenge against you.”

“Revenge? Isn’t that a bit harsh? I’m just doing my job here!”

“You’re intruding the last safe haven we have,” Jack simply said, and Jeremy hesitated.

This was the only home these people knew, and he figured he could understand why they would be pissed off with him being here.

“I’m not trying to fuck you guys over,” he assured her. “I’m just trying to figure out where Ray Narvaez is and bring him back. If you guys have nothing to hide, then you shouldn’t be so nervous about me being here.”

“We’re not nervous about Ray," she told him, and he believed her. Jack sat so relaxed in front of him that he didn't doubt she believed what she said. But only because she was sure he would never find Ray; that didn't mean they didn't have anything to do with it.

"Geoff defused the situation as good as he could," Jack just said and then held out her hand. "Would you give me your gun?"

Instinctively he took a step back.

"Why?"

"I said you could see my gift."

"Why do you need my gun for it?"

"You will see."

He hesitated a moment longer before handing over his gun. There was no real reason to trust Jack but he was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"What's your gift then?"

"Like I said, it's not very useful out of the field," she said and slipped her gloves from her hands. They didn't look any different like other human hands, but Jeremy also wasn't sure what he had expected. Claws?

"But passively I help Pandora. You’ve hunted demons before, right? I'm surprised that you haven't gotten a weapon of mine yet."

Jeremy stepped closer to watch as Jack put the weapon down onto his desk and cupped her hands over it.

"They call my gift enchantment," she said and he watched tiny blue sparks burst from her knuckles. Her whole palm seemed to light up blue.

"I can give certain new attributes to weapons. My weapons are in very high demand."

"Enchanted weapons! I heard of those before but figured it was a rumor!"

"I'm surprised that you as a hunter didn't receive one yet."

"Are you kidding me? I bet only the big bosses get those!"

"Strange, isn't it? They are not the ones out there to hunt down demons." She looked up to him, a sad smile on her face. "But having something fancy is sometimes more important for people than the safety of others."

Her words were true and he would love to dwell on that some more, but couldn't. Now that she had turned to him, he could see her eyes, and they were of such a bright blue that he was taken aback.

He had seen that before; it happened to some demons when they used their powers and it always scared a primal part of him. Jack's eyes were blue and blue only, not even white left anywhere. It looked like glass. Like something inhuman.

Still he could tell that she was looking right at him, and maybe she could tell how much she unnerved him, because she turned back around.

"I’ve made so many of these weapons, you'd figure the hunters would receive them. I'm sure it would help with the casualties." The blue glow coming from her palms faded slowly and she smiled to herself. "It's easier because you're here. You used this weapon before and so it knows what form to take. When Pandora orders new weapons from me they are usually brand new. It's harder to find a purpose for them then."

Her hands fell away, palms up on the desk, and for a moment the veins still glowed blue. The same bright blue that now traveled as runes through his weapon.

His hand moved on its own before he could stop himself, unsure if she was done.

"Are you okay?" he asked because Jack looked exhausted. She was pale, like this morning but forced a smile onto her face.

"It's fine. I just need a moment."

"You shouldn't have done it if it exhausts you so much!"

"It's what I do all day, so I got used to it after a while." She moved her hands but hesitated with a painful expression. Jeremy took a step closer to help her but didn't know how.

"Does it... always hurt to use your gift?" he asked slowly, and she shrugged.

"You have to pay the price, I guess. Human bodies aren't made for magic and for some people it's like an allergic reaction."

"I didn't know that..."

"I'm not sure if it's the same for all demons out there but it was for everyone I met until now. Creatures like us don't belong in this world. Our own bodies gladly reminds us of that."

"Then why become a demon?" Jeremy blurted out.

Jack had finally reached for her gloves but hesitated now. Slowly she slipped the right one on and Jeremy was nearly sure she wouldn't answer and that he screwed up, but then Jack said, "You know that Pandora was searching for volunteers before?"

"Yeah."

"My family urged me to participate, so I did."

"Your family...?" Jeremy asked but trailed off. He didn't think Jack would answer that but he knew that there wasn't a real answer in the first place. Who would sent a part of their family to something so horrid? Knowing that they would die or be lost forever in this project?

"Numbness," Jack interrupted his thoughts. "That's your enchantment."

"What?"

She got up from the desk but instantly had to hold on to the surface. When he tried to steady her, she just shook her head.

"If you hit a demon with a bullet from this weapon, it will numb that body part. This might become very useful in the future.”

Looking back to his gun still on the table, he couldn't help himself but touch it carefully. The metal felt warm and the runes began to glow against his skin.

"It's a very interesting enchantment for a hunter," Jack continued as she slipped her second glove on. "It's not meant to kill because you don't want to kill mindlessly. That's a very good thing, Jeremy, but also kinda surprising."

It was a question more or less, and a bit helplessly, Jeremy shrugged. "There were demons I wanted to kill more than anything."

"That didn't leave an imprint on your soul though, otherwise the gun would have chosen another enchantment. Maybe because you see us as something human like." Jack hesitated with one hand on the door handle. "Have you ever considered it, Jeremy?"

"Consider what?"

"Becoming a demon."

She said it so carelessly, but it still made his blood run cold. He didn't even quite know why.

"Some of Pandora's hunters have and then joined a team like ours."

"I never..." Jeremy spluttered, and Jack just nodded.

"I see then. I hope your new weapon serves you well."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glad you guys like it so far, see you in a week!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ray was tired and he wanted out. He found a way out and that's fine. He helped enough people for a lifetime, he saw enough horror for two on that day. If you plan to question me about him I won't tell you a thing."

Chapter 3

 

Jeremy knew that he couldn't escape the teasing forever and he already got his fair share of it when he dared to leave his room that very evening. He had tried to take it in stride, and it helped that the whole ordeal wasn't the most important thing on his mind anymore.

Jack's words had played in his head all day and well into the night. If he hadn’t been so exhausted, he wouldn’t have slept at all.

Even now, a day later, it wouldn't quite leave him alone.

Becoming a demon himself. It was an idea he had always pushed away because it was just ridiculous in itself. Too many people who stepped into these portals didn't come back. Too many of those who did went feral.

It was an idea to toy with maybe, not something to actually consider.

Still, here he was, not finding the will to go downstairs and join the others. There wasn't anything planned for today anyway, so he was free to just wander around the old motel.

He had already seen the most important rooms and most of the others were full of old furniture, nothing interesting there. The hallway his room was in had a bunch of other rooms as well, and over the past two days he had heard people come and go there, so the others also had their bedrooms here as well. Still he counted ten rooms, too many for all the people here, and he figured one of those belonged to Ray.

He would ask Geoff to show him Ray's room. Not that he truly thought he would find anything there, mostly because he wasn't the first to look inside, but he couldn't help being curious.

There was a third floor and the wooden stairs creaked under his weight. Upstairs was actually a gym with old sport equipment that looked like it was in good enough shape. The huge windows showed the woods around the property and the other walls were mostly covered in mirrors. On the other side of the hallway was a room with a large round table in the middle. Probably used for meetings or something.

The last room upstairs had a glass door and huge windows on all three walls. Maybe some form of a winter garden. With some recliners it would be a nice place to relax, but the room was empty.

Besides Gavin, who for some reason laid in the middle of the floor. He had all his limbs outstretched, and because he laid in a sunny spot, it instantly reminded Jeremy of a cat.

Or... or Gavin had become lightheaded and had fainted. Maybe he needed help or had hit his head or something.

Probably not though, and still, now that Jeremy had the idea it wouldn't leave him alone anymore. At least he could stop himself from storming inside and giving Gavin a certain heart attack. Instead he opened the door and cleared his throat.

"Is everything alright?"

Gavin shot into a sitting position and blinked at him. Somehow that reminded him even more of a cat that he had disturbed in his sleep.

"What are you doing here?" Gavin mumbled.

"Just looking around. What are you doing sleeping on the floor?"

"Wasn't sleeping," he told him, but his yawn wasn't very convincing. "Were you hoping that we had hid Ray up here or something?"

"Not really, but it would make my job easier."

"If at all he would be in the cellar. Up here is too much sunlight." Gavin chuckled to himself and rubbed his face. He still didn't get up from the floor, and when Jeremy finally stepped into the room, he knew why. The wood beneath his feet was warm from the sun. Gavin had even opened most of the windows, and whenever the wind picked up, Jeremy started to shiver.

Gavin did so as well, but on the floor it probably wasn't as bad.

"Not much of a nature guy, was he?" Jeremy asked, and suddenly Gavin looked way more awake than before.

"It’s not like he had time for that," he said, something cold in his tone. "If push came to shove, Pandora barely left him time to sleep, let alone go for a walk or something."

"Sounds like you're glad he's out of here."

"No, actually it just sounds like I'm stating the facts." He crossed his legs and turned towards Jeremy. "You gonna leave me alone now or what?"

"What were you doing up here, Gavin?" Jeremy just asked again, and the other rolled his eyes.

"It’s my place, isn't it? I just like it here."

"Because it reminds you of outside?" Jeremy guessed. This place nearly was a balcony and it took no genius to figure out why Gavin was here. He hadn't expected a reaction to that, least of all the shadow that crossed Gavin's face.

"So what?" Gavin spat at him. "Not everyone has the luxury to be allowed outside."

"Yeah, I heard about that."

Gavin just huffed at that but instantly glared at him once he took a step closer. It reminded Jeremy again of a cat, and instinctively he crouched down to be on eye level on him.

Which was... strange, considering that Gavin wasn't a little child or something, but he also didn't seem ready to give up his spot right now.

"How long since you’ve been outside?"

"Six months and twenty four days. Meaning all of bloody summer," Gavin huffed at him and leaned away. He watched him so accusingly, as if it was Jeremy's fault, but he let it slide. If Gavin wanted to blame someone he was the closest thing and also-

"Half a year? But Michael said you were sometimes allowed outside apart from missions?"

"Michael is, yeah but I only get two outside days a year," Gavin explained to him. "No way I'm allowed outside if it's not absolutely necessary. I'm a category red demon after all."

Now it was on Jeremy to lean back slightly. He didn't mean to, after all Geoff had informed him that there were two red class demons in this team, but he hadn't known who they were.

Now that he thought about it though, it seemed obvious. Jack was a class green demon and Michael had told him that he was in the yellow category, so Ryan and Gavin were the category red demons. Now, Ryan he could see. That guy was tall and muscular where Gavin was lanky and slim.

"You didn't know about that, did you?" Gavin smiled at him and then reached up to pull the collar of his sweater down. Around his throat was a similar cuff like Michael's, only that this one was not as bulky, probably to be able to hide it more easily. It also was a bright red.

"That..."

"That's going to explode if I step a foot outside this house or if someone pushes a wrong button, I guess," Gavin explained to him nearly gleefully. "It will just go boom and then it's bye bye."

"It will kill you?" Jeremy asked in shock. "Michael’s is just there to stop him from running away!"

"Well because Michael isn't as dangerous as me. Also way more useful." Gavin shrugged. "I'm not really out in the field much. You could say I have a niche skill."

Jeremy could just stare at him or rather at the collar. It was rather slim and made of the same metal as Michael's. It didn't sit as snugly though, probably to avoid any choking accidents and because it was more comfortable that way.

This thing could explode anytime, either taking Gavin's head right off or just ripping apart his throat. Jeremy didn't quite dare to ask what it would be, but all in all it probably didn't matter anyway.

It would kill Gavin, that was the point of it.

"Michael said you didn't know about the cuffs but I didn't believe him," Gavin continued and let his sweater cover the collar again. "Guess you're just not very well informed after all."

"I never heard about any of this," Jeremy admitted. "Not even from other hunters. I don't think Pandora is telling that to anyone."

"Wouldn't want those poor, poor hunters to pity the big evil demons."

"I guess."

Gavin sat crossed-legged in front of him and was watching him. Jeremy barely paid it any mind as he mulled it all over in his head. Outside the wind was picking up, but Gavin didn't seem to notice in his sweater. Though Jeremy could bet he mostly wore it to hide his collar.

"Can I ask you a question now?"

That did surprise Jeremy, but he nodded anyway.

"The teleporter girl you saw yesterday, Michael mentioned she had some form of mark on her face, but his eyes are crap, so he wasn't sure."

"She did. I figured it was like a tattoo or something."

"Any chance you still remember what it looked like?"

"Not in detail, but I think it was wings beneath her left eye. But I could only see it for a second, so I'm not absolutely sure."

Gavin nodded to himself and that made Jeremy curious.

"Does it mean something?"

"Could be." Gavin's eyes darted up and before Jeremy could react, the door behind him opened. It was Ryan who looked from one to another.

"Everything alright here?"

"Jeremy said the girl from yesterday had a mark on her face," Gavin told him immediately and scooted to the side. He patted the wood next to him and with a sigh, Ryan crouched down as well.

Why they did so when there was a perfectly fine meeting room just a door further down, Jeremy didn't know, but he also didn't mention it. Even with the occasional breeze in here, it felt nice. A little bit like sitting outside, and he figured he had just answered his own question.

"We can't be sure."

"Both Michael and Jeremy have seen it, but I guess we can only be sure once we catch her."

"What do the marks mean?" Jeremy asked before they forgot about him. Both of them seemed ready to do so, and even now they threw him a look as if he was an annoying insect.

"You are aware that there is more than one portal on this world?" Ryan finally said, and Jeremy nodded.

"Yeah, Pandora is in control of seven but they expect there to be even more."

"Exactly. Only that Pandora knows about an eighth portal in europe. Not far from a monastery called Yevetal."

"But it's not under our control?"

"Nope," Gavin said, popping the word at the end. "Because Yevetal built their religion around this portal, so Pandora can't really do shit without getting into a lot of trouble. Apparently believing in some form of greater being actually gives you the power to do whatever the fuck you want, but what else is new?"

"Apparently Yevetal has known about those portals for a long, long time already, and they ask for immunity in return for information," Ryan continued.

"But what does that have to do with the girl?"

"They take children who they deem promising and throw them in the Nether," Gavin said and Jeremy could feel the shiver working down his spine. "Those tattoos are symbols to attract a certain demon that helps or protects Yevetal in some form. Of course that doesn't always work and most of the children never return, but nobody stops them."

Jeremy couldn't help but stare at him. "Their own children?"

"Yeah, they get groomed and celebrated because they are gifted, and when they are old enough, they get thrown through the portal."

"Jesus Christ. We have to put a stop to this!"

Ryan just shrugged. "It's a religion and Pandora got most of their information from Yevetal, so no way they would get in a fight with them."

"But the kids! They'll just continue otherwise!"

"When has religion ever cared about kids?" Gavin asked him but didn't give him the time to answer, "Anyway, seeing as this girl has one of those marks, she might be from Yevetal."

"Can you determine which demon she was suppose to get from the mark alone?" Ryan asked.

"I can look through the books and see if I can find something that mentions that tattoo," Gavin agreed while Jeremy was still trying to keep up.

"But what is this girl doing here then? You said Yevetal is in Europe. Did she teleport to Los Santos?"

"Probably not, I don't think her powers are that strong yet. It doesn't happen often, but in rare cases you might not get out of the Nether through the same portal you went in," Ryan said. "She most likely went through the Yevetal portal but got out here."

Right, hadn't Geoff said something similar to that? That she had appeared in front of Pandora?

"She has to be confused, after all she probably never left Yevetal before. Now she's on the other side of the planet and it's a damn far way back home with a lot of water in between. For now she won't dare to teleport away from here, meaning we’ve still got time to catch her."

 

* * *

 

"We need some different expertise to catch this girl now that she's aware of us," Geoff said as he walked into the living room. He stopped right in front of the TV which apparently wasn't unusual. At least Michael didn't even hesitate to pause the game and look up.

Jeremy had sat a little awkwardly on the couch to watch him, and even though there were more controllers scattered around the room, he hadn't joined in and Michael also hadn't offered.

"What? You mean just jumping out at her screaming and hoping she won't teleport away won't work?" Michael asked in a mockingly shocked voice.

Jeremy just threw him a glance but found the other grinning back at him.

One day they would get tired of that, they had to. Today wasn't that day.

"Exactly. So I asked that Lindsay join us once we spot her again."

"Yeah because with her it will run smoother!" Michael cackled to himself and now did try to catch a good angle of the TV even though Geoff hadn't yet moved.

"Who's Lindsay?" Jeremy asked a little confused.

"I told you that we have two teams around Los Santos. She belongs to the other one but her gift will come in handy," Geoff explained. "You wanna give it a second try, Jeremy?"

"Sure."

Mostly because he could hopefully wrap this whole mission up and not look like an idiot anymore.

"Good. I'll let you know when we locate her."

"Did Gavin find out about the mark?" Jeremy asked, remembering their talk before. He didn't know exactly how Gavin wanted to figure out which mark belonged to which demon but maybe there was some form of register for that. What a strange thought.

Geoff threw him a strange look and awkwardly Jeremy added, "Just in case her demon has some more tricks up their sleeve instead of teleporting... maybe to avoid a nasty surprise for us?"

Sighing, Geoff gave in.

"We narrowed the mark down to two demons but neither of them can teleport. The first demon was Cerax and the second Lightbringer. This girl wasn't able to contract any of them."

Michael's head turned back around at that and he watched Geoff with big eyes before huffing.

"Well isn't that fucking funny?"

"Not really. At least we know that teleporting is most likely her only gift. It's enough to deal with anyway," Geoff continued. "Michael, I don't think we'll need you the next time."

"That's fine with me."

Jeremy watched as Geoff left the room and Michael turned back to his game. Somehow he felt more confused than before.

"Why is it so funny?" he finally asked but for a moment he was sure Michael wouldn't answer. He continued playing GTA and didn't so much as acknowledge his question. When he finally did pause, Jeremy perked up, but Michael only turned around to watch the far side of the room. Jeremy followed his gaze but couldn’t see anything besides a potted plant that desperately needed some water.

Finally Michael said, "She was supposed to contract a demon with which we know already had a host."

"I see..." He wasn't quite sure what was so damn funny about that, but he had a feeling he shouldn’t push the matter. "Have you worked with this Lindsay before?"

"Yeah, a bunch of times. Sometimes we switch team members around when we need them on a mission, even though Pandora often bitches about it. All too dangerous and stuff. Well, besides the category green demons because they are usually sent to whoever needs them right now."

"Is Lindsay a category green demon?"

"Nah, she's a yellow one like me." He nodded towards his ankle as if he had to remind Jeremy of the cuff. "Not dangerous, but hard to catch in case she gets away, that's why. But I guess that's also the point of why she is so fucking useful."

Now he turned to Jeremy with a knowing smirk.

"Just watch and learn, Jeremy. I think you will love what you see."

 

Lindsay Tuggey wasn't how he had imagined a demon. Granted of course, none of the guys he had met was the typical bloodthirsty feral beast he usually dealt with, but they had a certain edge to them. An air of danger maybe, but Lindsay might just be the least dangerous person he had met in his job yet.

She greeted him with a soft handshake and a big smile, then proceeded to hug the others as if she was finally coming home. Then she immediately went on to drop onto the couch, kick her boots off, and get into a heated discussion with Michael. Or an argument by the amount of swears coming from the living room.

Jeremy felt a little starstruck.

"Michael has the biggest crush I've ever seen on her," Gavin told him wisely. He was sitting on the counter of the kitchen and was actually pouting.

"You jealous?" Jeremy couldn't help but ask, and the other just huffed. Ryan next to him slapped him against the leg, causing Gavin to promptly stick his tongue out at him.

Still Jeremy stared at them because that was probably the first time he had seen Ryan touch anyone. Usually he kept his distance like back when they had first met, and even now he looked slightly concerned about the slip up.

"Is she here often?"

"If we need her gift she comes over," Ryan told him. "But sometimes the other team needs one of us and we head over to their place."

"Meaning Michael heads over there because whenever they need something, he is the first to offer his help. Disgusting, really," Gavin added. "Also the other team's base is on a bloody lake! A lake!"

"Doesn't mean they can enjoy it if they can't get out."

"But I bet it's nice to look at."

"Jeremy?" He turned around to find Lindsay standing in the doorway. Her face was healthily flushed and there was a certain glimmer in her eyes, that made him pretty sure that Michael wasn't the only one with a crush right here. Even her smile seemed bigger than before.

"You're gonna join us on this mission?"

"I'd love to."

"Cool. Come with me then."

He followed her up the stairs as if she was living here and not him, but he didn't care. Lindsay was wearing a long shirt with black leggings beneath and the cuff around her ankle was pretty prominent. She had also hesitated to step into this house before but once she had been inside, the nervousness had disappeared again.

Now she opened the door to the gym and looked around as if she was searching for something. Jeremy didn't know what. He had taken a closer look at the equipment before but found most of it too old to really use. Still he had taken care of some of the stuff and it was a nice change to the sitting around here and walking on eggshells.

"I figured you should know the rules if you come with me," Lindsay finally began and waved him over to the mirrors on the wall.

"Rules?"

"Yeah, can't have you screw up again, right?"

So she already knew about that. Probably thanks to Michael. At least she didn't dwell on it.

"The little teleporter girl will vanish once she notices us, so we can't let her see us. That's why Geoff asked me to come along." She turned towards the mirrors and spread her arms.

"The name of my demon is Sopdet, and she's pretty useful."

Jeremy watched her before he got the wink to look at the mirrors instead. What he saw was nothing. There was neither Lindsay, nor himself in the reflection and for a moment he just stared flabbergasted. Then he began to wave his hands, hoping to catch a glimpse of movement but not even that.

"You made us..."

"Vampires. Exactly," Lindsay said good naturally and he turned towards her.

"Wha-" The question got stuck in his throat because her eyes had changed. Instead of the gleeful green of before, they were completely white. It had to be her demon, Sopdet or whatever, and he knew that demons changed the eyes but it still was a small shock each time.

It was something so inhuman that his deepest instincts told him to get away. As inhuman as not having a reflection in the mirror.

"Not a vampire obviously. I'm just pulling your leg," Lindsay went on, and hearing the same cheerful voice as before either made it worse or better, Jeremy couldn't yet decide.

"But I can cloak us so that nobody can see us. That way we can sneak up to her and catch her without her disappearing in front of us."

She turned towards him and this time he couldn't help but take a step back. She noticed, he could tell, but didn't comment on it.

"She won't be able to see us, but that's all I can do. She will still be able to hear us, so we have to be very quiet. Also she can smell us and as that's usually not such a big deal, you should have been there that one time Michael had a cheese pizza the day before. What a mess that was!"

As she laughed, she threw her head back, and when she looked back down to him, her eyes were of the same green as before. Glancing towards the mirror, Jeremy could see himself again. He looked pale.

"I won't hurt you," Lindsay finally said, and under other circumstances that was a laughable thought. He was pretty sure he could take her out no problem, but those eyes...

"I'm not violent," she just went on, and her voice had something soothing to it. "Never have and never will be. I usually avoid even catching demons, that's why there's always someone with me to do the dirty work, I guess. I'm just not made for it, so don't worry."

"Okay..."

He didn't believe her and she could tell, but again he could feel no ill-will coming from her.

"Of course that's hard for you to believe when you do what you do. I'm sure you saw horrible things on your hunts before. We all did."

"I saw a demon rip the throat of a man out with their bare teeth," Jeremy found himself saying. He didn't really mean to, that was something he hadn't wanted to bring it up while coming here but now it had just stumbled out of his mouth. "That was before I knew about demons. We figured it was just a lady on too many drugs or whatever, but her eyes..."

He trailed off and couldn't help the shiver that worked down his spine. He had dreamed about it for too long, still did occasionally, and those eyes had been burned into his memories. The realization that before him was something that couldn't be human.

Lindsay was watching him now and he didn't quite dare to catch her gaze. She would think he was weak, after all that's what they had to deal with in this type of business, but that had been before. Fuck, he had gone out there, expecting to tell some teens to cut the crap and not see that kind of shit.

"The eyes are always the worst," Lindsay agreed quietly, and now he did look up. What he read in her face made him realize that he was stupid for being afraid. She didn't think he was weak at all.

"Two years ago we hunted a demon down and he was probably the worst I have ever met. The ones who trick your mind, those are the really fucked up ones, and this one was a big deal. Killed the parents and then took the kids for a ride, as he put it. He made you... I'm not sure how to describe it... he made you believe things, could make you do things. It didn't work on adults so much but kids? Yeah, worked on them like a charm. Like the fucking Pied Piper or something like that." Now she was the one who shook herself.

"It was a big mission, the biggest I was apart of until now. Normally Pandora doesn't send more than one red category demon out, if at all, but Ryan and Gavin were out there. Michael and Ray as well. I was just there to bring them close to this motherfucker and Ray stayed back with me. We were searching for the kids, but they were all dead. Eight in total and Ray tried to... to heal them, but it was too late. The demon must have known we were coming or just grew tired of them, I don't know."

She stayed quiet for a moment before shaking her head slowly. "What a waste."

"That's horrible."

"It was, but the other three killed him in the end and that was that. I only saw him once when I brought them close but it was enough. It was just like you said, his eyes... that was what scared me the most." She turned towards him. "They didn't change, they didn't look inhuman. They were brown, like so many others out there. But they were cold. A coldness I haven't seen before and to this day I hope I never will again. I don't believe he was feral, that he was controlled by his demon when he did what he did. He was just rotten to the core and enjoyed what he did too much to stop."

Jeremy didn't know what he was supposed to say to that. Like the fucking Pied Piper, alright.

The eyes though; he knew what Lindsay wanted to tell him. That both sides had good and both sides had evil. Deep inside he knew that, but for now he had only seen the evil ones. Had hunted and killed them and done so with no regret because he knew that he was saving innocent lives.

But here he could get an example for the good. He was pretty sure Lindsay belonged to that side, he could see it in her eyes. At least when they weren't white like milk, and who knew when she would go feral herself. When her demon would take over.

Some experts were sure that it was a matter of time with each demon.

The thought turned his stomach.

"I know why you're here, Jeremy," Lindsay said next. "Ray is a good person. You would agree if you had stood with him in that room back then. You didn't, so you have to take my word for it. Ray is good, but he was tired. Who wouldn't be when all you see each and every day is blood and violence and pain? If it hadn't started already, it for sure did when we opened that damn door and could smell the death inside. Maybe even before, because you can feel it. It's a dark and heavy feeling deep down, that tells you that you shouldn't open that fucking door. But you do anyway because there's still hope, right? Hope dies last, that's what they always say. They don't tell you, though, that Hope is also the thing that will do you in. That kills you a little inside when it betrays you. It betrayed us back then and you never truly recover from that. At least not for a long, long time."

She touched his arm and her fingers were cold, the smile from before gone.

"Ray was tired and he wanted out. He found a way out and that's fine. He helped enough people for a lifetime, he saw enough horror for two on that day. If you plan to question me about him I won't tell you a thing. Let him live because until now he didn't have the opportunity to, but he deserves it. After everything he did for us, that's the least Pandora can do for him."

 

* * *

 

"We found the girl hiding in Los Santos," Geoff explained. "If we don't catch her now, it will only get harder the better she gets with her ability. She didn't get far from the portal yet, but that's only a matter of time."

They were sitting in his car, Geoff, Lindsay and him, and Jeremy felt more excited than the time before. He wanted to get this over with, and this time without any hiccups.

It was the early evening, nearly a week after Lindsay had come by, when Geoff had stormed into the living room, saying they had to leave right now. Finding a teleporter was apparently harder than Pandora thought, which was as ridiculous as it sounded. Now though, the girl had been seen and they were on the way to Los Santos to finally catch her.

Jeremy was still a bit unsure about this whole thing. With this girl and knowing where she came from, it wasn't as easy to just hunt her down. As far as he knew she hadn't hurt anyone and was basically only on her way back home.

Not that she would ever get there. Jeremy had asked Michael if Pandora would send her back; after all they had some sort of a deal with Yevetal, but apparently that wouldn't happen. Not when she was so damn useful.

Endless freedom, Michael had called it. At least until they get a cuff on her. Then Pandora pulls the strings.

She wouldn't come back home, at least not in the foreseeable future.

Thinking about it, it was sickening, but Jeremy knew it wasn't his call to make. In the grand scheme of things, of Pandora, he was only a small piece.

"Jack said she gave you a weapon?" Geoff asked from the front and Jeremy looked up from his thoughts.

"She enchanted mine."

"Oh, that's so cool," Lindsay said. "I once saw her enchant brass knuckles and things got ugly if you used them!"

"We don't want things to get ugly though, after all we still want to use that girl," Geoff reminded her and threw a glance towards Jeremy through the rear view mirror. "She said your weapon causes numbness?"

"Yeah, but I haven't tested it yet." But if Jack said that was the case, he honestly didn't doubt her. She surely knew what she was talking about.

"That's really useful for hunting and catching demons, wonderful. The enchantment should also work if you only graze the girl. Seeing as we don't really want to hurt her, please consider this, because I want you to shoot at her again."

Jeremy had to swallow.

"I can't make any promises. It depends on the situation."

"Sure, but I usually can get you pretty close to the target," Lindsay added and cracked her knuckles. "So you can take your time."

"Also Pandora would prefer it if you hit her leg or arm than miss her because you didn't want to hurt her fully," Geoff said. "We need her gift most of all."

"Grim, dude," Jeremy mumbled, but loud enough that Geoff had to hear.

"Not my rules. If I had a say in any of this, things would be different," Geoff just told him.

Like with Ray? The more time Jeremy spent with this group, the surer he got that they helped Ray flee. Thanks to the cuffs and the implanted chips, he was probably the only one who could do it, and so they covered for him. Not even the girl they were hunting right now with all her freedom would be able to get away once Pandora was through with her.

All those demons working alongside them were just like dogs on a leash.

To some degree he was sure that it wasn't right. Not when these people were so... humanlike. Like Gavin or Ryan locked up in this house nearly all year.

On the other hand, it was a safety measure in case one of them did run away or went feral. Pandora had to be able to take them out before they hurt people.

He pushed the thought aside, because he had dwelled on it too often recently and couldn't find a good enough answer for himself, and there were more important matters at hand.

 

By the time they reached Los Santos, it had gotten dark. Geoff parked the car on a parking lot, and a bit nervously, Jeremy touched his gun to make sure it was still there. The parking lot was dimly lit and they obviously weren't in the best part of the city. Every instinct in him screamed to be careful which was funny enough, considering his company.

"She hangs around here? Not the best place for a girl as young as her," Lindsay mumbled and Jeremy had to agree.

"Not the best place for anyone," Geoff agreed. "But here nobody really looks twice and she's confident she can get away in case things look back. Which is a problem in itself. Nobody believes a couple junkies and homeless people when they say they saw some girl disappear right in front of their eyes, but who knows who else might see her."

Yeah, the public already asked enough questions whenever a demon made a bit of a ruckus. They didn't want to cause a panic in this city.

"Down this way."

Great, now Geoff lead them even deeper into this damn part of the city, but Jeremy followed him, hand still on his gun. Still, he couldn't deny that he jumped when Lindsay touched his arm.

"Stay close and be quiet," she told him and also reached out to grasp Geoff's jacket. He just turned towards her and frowned.

"So soon already? Can you hold the illusion for long enough? We don't want to pop out right in front of that girl."

"It'll be fine, don't worry. That's no problem for me and Sopdet. Also I'd like to avoid getting mugged tonight."

"Fair enough."

Lindsay's eyes turned into the same milky color as before and still Jeremy had to look away. It didn't help his nerves at all.

Now he also pulled his gun and saw the blue runes brighten up for a moment. They hadn't done that before, not after Jack was done with her enchantment, but now it was as if they could tell that he was serious. It should be scary and unnatural, but Jeremy rather found it reassuring, as if Jack was having his back.

Lindsay's hand ghosted over his arm because both of her arms were outstretched and nearly touching him and Geoff, as if she had to make sure they were still there or rather to assure that they didn't wander off. Jeremy wasn't sure how big Lindsay's radius was but it surely wasn't ridiculously large.

Geoff lead them deeper into the dark alleyways anyone else would fight to get away from and Jeremy started to realize how hard it was to stay quiet.

The ground was littered with all kinds of trash that crinkled or broke beneath his heels and thanks to the darkness it was also hard to see. The amount of concentration he had to bring up just to walk ahead was incredible.

Lindsay somehow did it like it was second nature, which was probably exactly the case. After all, this was basically her job. Geoff also didn't pay any attention, but not because of any stealth. Right as Jeremy watched him, he managed to kick a glass bottle down the alleyway without a care in the world.

It didn't attract as much attention as Jeremy had thought.

There was a group of homeless people down the alley to the right who didn't even look up. A shadow of a man around the corner did turn around but only to disappear deeper into the darkness.

Well, it probably didn't really matter until they were close enough to the girl.

They finally reached a clearly abandoned building that looked old and like it was haunted by at least three ghosts. The front of the building was black, like part of it had nearly burned down before.

Jeremy wouldn't go in there if he had the choice but, of course it was the building Geoff walked towards. They didn't even have to break inside because the door had been ripped out of its hinges and laid in the entrance.

It was cold and dusty and probably moldy in here, but there was a soft glow coming from their right. There was a makeshift fire in the little room there with two people sitting around there. The first one was their girl but the second one was an old woman who somehow reminded Jeremy of the cat lady from The Simpsons.

Both of them were talking quietly, but he tried not to eavesdrop, as if that went too far and he wasn't here to shoot and catch the girl. Taking a deep breath, he turned towards Geoff who gestured for him to wait.

He was looking around the room, even going a bit away to check on the next room but came up with nothing. Jeremy wasn't even sure what he was looking for, but Geoff's short nod was somehow reassuring.

So he lifted his gun and aimed at the girl. It shouldn't be as hard as it was but he could clearly see that she was shivering. Her clothes weren't enough for the temperature around and she sat close enough to the fire that it nearly burned her knees. It still didn't seem to be enough.

Still, she didn't look desperate. She appeared nearly happy as she talked to the older woman and again Jeremy was reminded of Michael's words.

Eternal freedom. Surely she hadn't known that coming from Yevetal. Who knew if she had ever seen a city before!

Now she could be able to see the world but only if Pandora allowed her to.

For a moment Jeremy toyed with the idea of letting her go. After all she couldn't really harm people with her gift, right? All she could do was disappear in one place to appear somewhere else.

Surely there was no harm in that!

But that wasn't his choice to make as he put his finger on the trigger. The runes started to glow beneath his fingers and even tickled a little. It could've been distracting but it wasn't, it helped his hands to stay steady.

The shot was loud in the small room and after trying to stay quiet for so long. The old woman screamed but the girl didn't. She just grew pale and tried to get to her feet but instantly went down. The bullet had grazed her right leg and it went out beneath her the moment she put her weight on it.

There was blood, of course, but Jeremy had tried to inflict as little damage as possible on her but now he could just stand there, frozen on the spot.

It was scary to see her lay there, obviously in shock while the older woman was scrambling away. She was barely more than a child after all. A child who was way too far away from home for her own good, but now she would probably never see it again.

Pandora would first lock her up and then put the cuff on her so she would be theirs. It wouldn't be long for the wound to heal and then she would start to work for Pandora. Either for one of their team of hunters or as a kind of messenger.

It wasn't fair.

Now she gasped for breath and her skin was white and drenched in sweat. It made her tattoo beneath her eye stand out. It was wings and Jeremy had already forgotten the two demons it could be, but that also didn't really matter.

He couldn't move; he just stood there and lowered his gun slowly. Lindsay’s hand on his arm felt cold and he didn't even know if he was still invisible or not.

That probably also didn't matter.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Lindsay!
> 
> Sopdet is the embodiment of the star Sirius and is known to protect the deceased king as they find the way into the sky. Actually quite happy with the name this time around!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t like it,” Jeremy mumbled and could feel how Jack was watching him. “I don’t think it has to be like that. There has to be another way.”

Chapter 4

 

When Ryan opened the door, Jeremy stopped putting the two wooden rods together and stared up at him. Why did he feel like a little kid getting caught red handed?

„What are you doing?“ Ryan asked, which was fair enough. It was nearly midnight and Jeremy had sneaked into the big open room he had found Gavin in. Now he held the pieces up as if that would explain something.

It didn‘t, and Ryan just lifted his eyebrows questioningly. With Jeremy sitting on the ground the other looked even taller.

„I‘m building a hammock,“ he said lamely, and if possible Ryan‘s eyebrows rose even higher.

„And why would you build a hammock?“

„Well this room is super empty, isn‘t it? I was first thinking about buying some bean bags or something but a hammock has more of a feeling of... freedom.“ Or something like that. Mostly it was also way cheaper because it had been on sale.

„Freedom, mh?“ Finally Ryan closed the door behind him and relaxed slightly. „Gavin doesn‘t like it when people come up here, so I‘d advise you to put that thing outside if you want to use it.“

Yeah, because that wouldn‘t be the meanest thing he could possibly do. Hey guys, sucks for you to be trapped in there but the weather is grand today!

„He can use it,“ Jeremy said quickly. „I mean, I actually expected him to in the first place. It‘s better than the ground.“

And just like that the tension in Ryan‘s shoulders was back.

„Why would you buy anything for us? That‘s hardly part of your job. If you think that will make Gavin tell you about Ray, it won‘t.“

„Wha- no, I didn‘t want to do that!“ Not really. It had been a tiny hope though.

„Then what are your intentions with Gavin?“

God, Ryan was acting like an over jealous boyfriend, and Jeremy tried not to feel hurt by that. He kinda understood where he was coming from.

„I just wanted to do something nice!“

„So you pity us?“

„No!“ Oh God, what he gotten himself into now? He didn‘t know what to answer because he only seemed to dig his own grave. A bit helplessly, he realized that he was still holding up pieces of the hammock and lowered them now.

„Also why‘s there a big flamingo on the hammock?“ Ryan asked, and Jeremy just shrugged.

„I figured that was the reason it was on sale.“

That made Ryan huff and he let it go. Maybe he had noticed himself that he had been a bit unfair, and Jeremy dared to relax.

He watched as the other sat down opposite of him and looked over the different parts.

„Bit late to build a hammock.“

„I couldn‘t sleep.“ Not after getting that Teleporter. That had been a week ago, and he still felt more guilty over catching her than he had in all his hunts before. Sleep hadn‘t been kind to him these past few days.

„It‘s a difference if they‘re feral or not,“ Ryan said and tapped the box of the hammock to be able to read the text on it. It was just the smallest touch.

„It is.“ But he didn‘t want to talk about it because it was stupid. He had done his job and he wasn‘t paid to make decisions. All he had to do was function.

„Why are you still awake?“ he asked instead, and Ryan shrugged.

„Also couldn‘t sleep, but that‘s pretty normal for me. It‘s too early. Figured I could keep a look out.“

„A look out for what?“

Ryan hesitated before he answered, „Michael. He sleepwalks sometimes, some side effect since he got his demon.“

„Oh...“

„In case you ever catch him, you better get Geoff. He‘s good with waking him.“

„Alright.“

He had to fight the urge to shiver. Somehow he hoped he‘d never meet Michael sleepwalking through those halls. Who knew, if it came from his demon, maybe his eyes would change as well. Nothing he wanted to see in the middle of the night.

„Well if you‘re already awake, you can help me build this thing,“ Jeremy offered, hoping to lighten the mood a little. „This shouldn‘t be as complicated as it is.“

For a moment Ryan just stared at him, and again he couldn‘t help but feel like a small kid. Then Ryan smiled.

„You have no idea what my gift is, do you?“

Now it was on Jeremy to stare as he tried to piece it together.

„Something with your hands. You don‘t touch people.“

„Or fragile things when I can avoid it,“ Ryan told him and laid his hands on his knees, palms up. „Strength. Super human strength as Geoff calls it. I don‘t touch people because I don‘t want to hurt them.“

„Are you that strong?“

„I could break you in half, no problem.“

That sounded like such a lame line, but Jeremy believed him. After all, he had seen it in his time here, right? He could count the instances in which Ryan had touched someone on one hand.

Super human strength would certainly make him a category red demon.

„Can‘t you control it? Most demons only use their gifts when they chose to, right?“

„Technically.“

„That means?“

„I can control it just well. I just choose not to risk anything. If I don‘t pay close enough attention, I might hurt someone really badly, so I just don‘t touch anyone.“

„Makes sense.“

„So I don‘t want to try to break your hammock here.“

„Well it was only twelve dollars,“ Jeremy said. „And because of that wonderful flamingo I don‘t think it will be sold out by the morning.“

Again Ryan laughed, and Jeremy perked up. Somehow that felt like a small victory. He grinned at Ryan as he handed him some of the parts.

They both began to work on the hammock, and even though he couldn‘t help but throw some glances towards Ryan, the other didn‘t break a thing. There was an expression of intense concentration on his face though, and Jeremy didn‘t dare to disturb it through talking.

But that was fine, they worked together in silence, and this late at night it probably was the right thing.

The hammock came together - granted a bit smaller than Jeremy had figured from the package - and the monotone movements were just enough to capture his thoughts. That way he didn‘t have to think about that poor girl.

If she already had a cuff around her? Probably, it would be too risky otherwise. His bullet had grazed her, which still hurt like a bitch and kept her from disappearing, but by now she was probably okay again. He had already feared she would disappear before they could get her to Pandora but she had nearly collapsed into Geoff‘s arms once he touched her.

She had looked very exhausted sitting there by the fire.

Ryan across from him sat up suddenly, his eyes going through the glass door and down the hallway. From his place Jeremy couldn‘t see, but when he leaned forward, his heart nearly stopped.

It was dark out there; of course because nobody else was around during this time. But all the way in the back there were two glowing red eyes staring towards them, and he nearly pissed his pants right then and there.

For a moment it was the woman from years ago. The one who had just ripped out the throat of his partner like it was nothing. He hadn‘t seen her in the dark back then, but he could bet that her eyes would have also glowed.

„There we go,“ Ryan just sighed and got up as if that was the most normal thing in the world. If it really was a normal occurrence in this house, Jeremy really had to rethink his purpose here.

„I‘ll get Geoff. Can you just make sure that he doesn‘t walk out of a window or trip down the stairs?“

No he couldn‘t. He wouldn‘t take a single step towards those eyes. If he would be able to move, he would be the one out of the window because that‘s where they couldn‘t follow him.

Unfortunately nothing of that made it over his lips and he just watched in silent helplessness how Ryan opened the door and went right towards those eyes. At least he switched on the lights in the hallway and for a moment the red eyes dimmed as Michael had to blink.

Jeremy wasn‘t even sure if this didn‘t even make it worse, to see a somewhat familiar face with those eyes, but he at least managed to take a much needed breath.

Ryan moved past Michael, again as if that wasn‘t a big deal at all. Michael didn‘t even seem to notice him, just slowly moved further down the hall.

Which meant closer to Jeremy, and his heart sank at that.

When Michael finally drifted off and opened another door to disappear behind, Jeremy took a second deep breath. His lungs were quite thankful for that and he reached for the door.

It was only made out of glass but it was at least some kind of barrier between them.

The problem was only that Ryan had asked him to look out for Michael and if he wasn‘t wrong, Michael had just walked straight into the gym. The room he was most likely to hurt himself in.

And now that he thought about it, maybe the thing with walking out of the window wasn‘t as much as a joke as he had hoped. Maybe Michael would actually try that or something. That had happened before with sleep walkers, right?

Jeremy was pretty sure he had heard about that, only that Michael wouldn‘t just drop down two stories, no, his cuff would also fucking explode. That would certainly wake him.

„Fuck me,“ Jeremy whispered and moved down towards the gym. As he came closer he couldn‘t even hear Michael, but his imagination was running wild. Surely he was standing right behind the door, ready to literally scare the shit out of him or just give him a heart attack right away.

That was one quick way to get rid of him after all.

But as he stepped inside, Michael wasn‘t standing right behind the door. No, he was standing in front of the wall of mirrors, and lucky him, that was even more terrifying.

He didn‘t need seven pairs of those eyes staring back at him.

„Michael?“ It came out as a whisper, as if the word would‘ve rather stayed inside. Also weren’t you supposed to not call sleepwalking people by their name?

Jeremy didn‘t know for sure as he inched closer. It wasn‘t like Michael reacted in the first place.

„What are you doing here?“

„I‘m searching for my friend.“

Okay. Okay, he hadn‘t expected an answer. Really not. Least of all one that also made sense.

Michael was still standing there like a statue, watching his own reflection, and Jeremy jumped when he saw himself as well.

„I used to see and talk to him all the time,“ Michael continued as if this was nothing more than a nice chit chat. „But now he isn‘t around anymore.“

Wait... was he talking about Ray?

Jeremy took a look behind himself to see if Ryan or Geoff were coming, but he couldn‘t hear a thing. That might be his chance.

„Do you mean Ray?“

„Ray?“ Michael frowned. „No, I‘m not talking about Ray. I mean Pollux.“

„Pollux?“ What kind of a strange name was that? Jeremy didn‘t think he had heard it before, so not a previous member of this team as far as he knew. A demon then? Did demons even have names?

„Pollux was always lingering around. He was very surprised that I could see him, but he liked that, I think. I haven‘t seen him for a while now though, and I‘m starting to worry,“ Michael just went on, a concentrated expression on his face. „I used to see him in mirrors a lot.“

„That sounds like a fucking ghost.“ Because demons obviously weren‘t enough, now he also had to deal with fucking ghosts!

„Pollux talked about you before you got here,“ Michael said so casually that it made another shiver run down his spine. „He saw you in one of his dreams, I think. You were at the lake.“

„What lake?“

Michael turned towards him, looking out of his blood red eyes as if the answer was obvious.

But Jeremy didn‘t know what he was talking about. He didn‘t know someone named Pollux and he also didn‘t remember the last time he was at a lake. He wanted to ask Michael but didn‘t know how, and by then Michael was already turning back around.

„Nowadays I only see others in the mirror. Other dreams.“

And for a second, Jeremy believed him. When he looked in the mirror he saw another Michael and another Jeremy. After he blinked they were gone and he only looked at himself.

„What is going on here?“ Jeremy whispered but before Michael could answer, there were already steps behind them.

Geoff walked into the gym and Jeremy relaxed. the other looked even sleepier than usual and had to stifle a yawn.

„Michael?“

That was all. His name and a hand on his shoulder and instantly Michael snapped out of it. He swayed a little and they both steadied him until he caught himself. Looking around, he had to orientate himself before he groaned.

„Oh fuck, again?“

„Seems like it, buddy,“ Geoff said good naturedly and then actually pushed a hand against Michael‘s forehead as if he expected a fever.

„How are you feeling?“

„Fucking cold! I‘m not wearing socks. Really gotta start wearing them to bed, but I just kick them off.“

Now Michael noticed Jeremy and threw him a lopsided smile. „Hey Jeremy, did I at least make a good first impression?“

„You scared me shitless.“

„Fantastic. Didn‘t drool this time as well, so that‘s a plus.“

„Alright, can we discuss that in the morning,“ Geoff interrupted and pulled on Michael‘s arm. „I really need some good sleep and you two as well. Preferably in your beds and not wandering around the house.“

„But only because you asked nicely.“

Jeremy watched as they left the gym together, still talking as if that wasn‘t fucking creepy as shit. Or as if he could still sleep after this.

 

* * *

 

Jeremy sat on a bench at the front of the house, a big mug filled with strong coffee in his hand, and watched the sun rise. It was probably an asshole move, considering that nobody could follow him outside, but that was kinda the good thing. It didn‘t leave him feeling so haunted.

Last night had been bad. Even after Geoff had taken Michael back to his room, Jeremy couldn‘t shake the pictures in his head away. For a moment he had considered going back upstairs and finishing that damn hammock, but he couldn‘t bring himself to it.

He always imagined looking up and seeing those blood red eyes in the darkness again.

Or this Pollux, who- or whatever that was.

So he had hurried back to his room like a scared little boy in the night, but sleep hadn‘t come. All in all it was stupid to make a fuss out of this; after all he had known what he was getting into. But yesterday was different. It had been a primal fear, raw instinct to get to the only safe place he had in this house. If that meant to hole up in his room and beneath the covers, then so be it.

If Ryan had returned to look for him? Maybe, maybe not. He hadn‘t checked if the hammock was built or not. That would come later after he finished his coffee.

For now he sat here, and it was peaceful.

„Good morning.“

He looked up and was quite flabbergasted to see Jack. Outside.

„Why didn‘t you explode?“ he blurted out, and she laughed a bit awkwardly.

„Why would I explode?“

„Well the others have those cuff-thingies an-“

„Oh, but I‘m a category green demon,“ she told him as she came closer. „I don‘t have a cuff. That would be kinda awkward, after all I‘m moving around a lot between the two teams and Pandora.“

She made a gesture to the bench and he quickly moved to the side so that she could sit down. He had wanted to be alone but he didn‘t mind Jack‘s company. Her gift was more fascinating than downright scary.

„So they told you about the cuffs?“

„I saw Michael‘s and Gavin‘s.“

She nodded. „It‘s hard to hide when it‘s around your neck. I wish it wasn‘t like that.“

She fell silent and Jeremy watched her from the side. Jack was wearing a silky robe that she had wrapped around herself and her red hair was still a bit messy. He didn‘t think she had been awake for long.

„I haven‘t seen you around lately. Were you at Pandora?“

„No, I was here. Just holed up in my room to get the order out in time. It was quite a lot but I managed.“ She smiled at him. „So I figured a short walk would be the right thing to do. Once I‘m back I‘m gonna dive into a big breakfast, I‘m starving.“

That also made Jeremy smile.

„I bet it‘s exhausting to use your gift so much.“

„Oh, very.“

It seemed to dim her mood a little and he couldn’t help but remember how tired she had seen the few times he had seen her those past weeks. The other’s had always appeared worried about her then and he had hung back, didn’t want to interfere.

"Geoff told me you used your weapon in the last mission," she asked and he quickly sat up.

"I did! It was very useful, thank you so much!"

"You're very welcome. Did you have any problems while using it?"

"Like what?"

"Some hunters have complained that their weapons feel heavier after the enchantment."

Jeremy frowned. "No, not at all. It felt the same as before."

"I'm glad to hear that. Pandora isn't very happy about those reports but I haven't figured out what it might be. I think I told you before that it's harder to enchant something for someone when you don't know them or the weapon is new, so maybe that's it." Jack leaned back against the bench and looked up into the sky. There were only a few clouds in the east and as the sun started to reach them now, the temperature also rose. It was still refreshing though.

"Can I ask you something, Jack?"

"Sure."

"Who's Pollux?"

She hesitated but didn't drop her gaze. She just blinked against the brightness of the sun and gave a soft humming noise from her.

Jeremy waited patiently as she sorted her thoughts.

"So Michael sleep walked again?"

"Yeah, yesterday."

"Was he talking to Pollux?"

"No, he was looking for him." And thank God for that. Jeremy hadn't even thought about the possibility of seeing Michael sitting in the dark with his glowing eyes and talking to... something. Something that hopefully would have been invisible.

"Good," Jack said and leaned ahead. She slowly folded her hands in her lap and for the first time Jeremy noticed that she wasn't wearing her gloves.

"After Michael made a deal with his demon Triella, it started. At first it was just the occasional nightmare, but after a year or so he began to sleep walk. It grew worse the more he trained with Triella, so we figured it was his payment. I told you about the allergic reaction our bodies have, right?"

Jeremy nodded.

"So we figured it wasn't that bad. I saw other reactions that were-" She stopped herself and shook her head. "Anyway, at one point he claimed to see people at night or in the mirror."

"Like other hims?" Jeremy asked, remembering Michael's words from last night.

"Yeah, that was pretty common. He started to dream about them at night, catching glimpses into other worlds or something." She shrugged. "Geoff and Ryan think it's bullshit, but I don't see why. We know there are other realms, we've been in the Nether, so why shouldn't there be more out there? I think thanks to his demon, Michael has some sort of connection to it."

Like a multiverse? Jeremy had never really thought about it and that made the whole thing just more complicated. He would have to think about it later.

"So who's Pollux? Someone out of these worlds?"

"Probably? I can't tell you for sure but he was the most recurring... person Michael came in contact with. You could hear them talk in Michael's room. Or at least Michael, we can't hear or see him, if he exists at all. But apparently Pollux hasn't been around for quite a while and Michael is getting worried."

"Kinda like an imaginary friend."

She smiled at him. "That's what it reminded me of as well. So maybe it's better like that, maybe he outgrows it at some point. I hope so. Sometimes he had such vivid dreams and experiences, I feared we wouldn't get him out of it. That if his body would further react to Triella like this, we would lose Michael to this Pollux."

"That sounds scary..." Jeremy whispered, mostly to himself, but Jack nodded anyway.

Even out here in the bright morning sun he had to shiver but now his thoughts began to wander. To different worlds and other hims. To that strange lake Pollux had claimed he had seen him at.

Well, at least he could now say it was another him, or something. That made some kind of sense because he sure as hell didn't meet anyone named Pollux. But he also had to think about those 'allergies' as Jack had put it and he threw her a worried glance.

She did look tired and worn out from working so hard and using her gift so much, but was that really it? His eyes traveled down to her hands as if they had turned black, ready to fall right off. They didn't, just seemed pale and fragile with her long fingers, but that might have been because he was so used to her black gloves.

"Touch them," Jack told him, and Jeremy jumped. He had stared and she had noticed and his cheeks colored.

"Sorry..."

"It's fine. If you wanna know..." She held her hand out to him and a bit shyly he put his on top. Instantly he reeled back and tried to process what he had just felt.

Jack's hand was just like his. He could see the skin, knew how skin felt but that wasn't what he had just touched.

"Metal," she helped him along. "They feel like metal both for me and you, but at least they don't look like it. Small mercies."

Jeremy stared at her before reaching out again, had to make sure- Yes, her hand felt like cold metal, unforgiving and inhuman and just wrong.

"That's-" he began without having a clue how to explain it. At least she understood and nodded.

"It's spreading," she explained. "With each new gun it's wandering up my arm. I'm scared of what will happen when it reaches my chest."

"Jesus Christ! You shouldn't have enchanted my gun then," Jeremy cried out, horrified. Jack had been nothing but nice to him and to imagine-

But she just waved him off.

"It's okay. One more or less won't matter much. Also that's what I'm here for, right?"

He didn’t want to answer that, so he just lowered his gaze to watch his coffee. The gun at his hip suddenly felt heavier than before. Normally he didn’t carry it around the house but he had been too nervous to just leave it in his room after yesterday.

This was the future of every demon caught by Pandora, wasn’t it? Cuffed, locked away and used up.

“I don’t like it,” Jeremy mumbled and could feel how Jack was watching him. “I don’t think it has to be like that. There has to be another way.”

“That means a lot,” Jack said but kept it at that. She didn’t really believe in it and Jeremy could also understand that. It wasn’t like Pandora would just stop using what was useful to them. Also the risk of allowing demons to just walk freely after their work was done was just too high.

Still, it was an injustice that didn’t sit right with him.

“I’ll have a meeting with Pandora soon and I’ll bring this up with my boss, okay?”

“Don’t get yourself in trouble, Jeremy,” she told him. “That’s very kind of you and I do think you’re a good person, but I don’t think it’s worth the trouble.”

He would try it anyway; he already knew that, and Jack probably as well.  She threw him another smile before getting up from their bench.

Right, she had come out here for a walk, and Jeremy watched her go before sitting up himself.

“Jack? Can I ask you another thing?”

“What is it?”

“Can you show me Ray’s room?”

 

Ray’s room was all the way in the back of the hallway Jeremy’s room was at. It wasn’t locked or barricaded or… protected by a spell or something. He had kinda expected to have a harder time getting into it, but now Jack just pushed the door open and nodded inside.

It felt wrong being in someone’s space without their permission, and Jeremy had never been able to shake that feeling off.

When he was on a hunt, it wasn’t uncommon to find a demon in their own living space and it was the first place to look for them. Usually he was in and out quickly and didn’t have to search through the home.

This right here felt worse.

The layout of Ray’s room wasn’t any different than his, which wasn’t a surprise. He only had a bigger TV with some consoles in the cabinet beneath, but besides that it was pretty much the same.

Everything was tidy and organized, only the bed was unmade.

“He is a tidy person?”

“Against popular belief,” Jack chuckled, and Jeremy nodded. Either that or the others had done this because this didn’t look like someone had packed a bag to disappear. It rather looked like he was out for the weekend and nothing more.

Jeremy pulled open the wardrobe and still found clothes in there. It was hard to tell what was missing or if something besides the clothes Ray wore on that day was even gone.

“He didn’t waltz out of here with a suitcase or something,” Jack threw in, but of course she would say that. He couldn’t trust her onthat.

“Ray would hate you if he knew you were in there.”

Jeremy jumped and turned around. In the door didn’t only stand Jack anymore, no, Michael had also joined her, and the both of them were kinda blocking the only exit. Jeremy didn’t want to think about it like that but he couldn’t deny that his heart beat started to pick up.

“Why? Does he have something to hide?”

“No, just common sense. I don’t want people I don’t know rummaging through my stuff.” There was an edge in Michael’s voice, and Jeremy had to fight down a shiver.

“You also didn’t just disappear into thin air.”

Michael took a step towards him, but Jack’s hand brushed against his arm and he deflated visibly.

“Jeremy won’t find anything. You know that, Michael.”

"Because you guys hid everything valuable already?"

Now Jack threw him a nearly hurt look, and Jeremy wished he could kick his own ass. He didn't know why he was suddenly so defensive, or rather he knew exactly why but also that it was ridiculous. The other two weren't backing him into a corner and of course they would make sure beforehand that he couldn't find any obvious hints in here or the house in general.

Fuck, he could understand them! Everyone in this team seemed somewhat close and he didn't think it was any different with Ray.

Unfortunately, it was still his job.

"And if so?" Michael asked now and pulled himself up to be as tall as he could. A challenge in his eyes - brown, not red, but that could change in a heartbeat.

Jeremy hadn't taken him for someone so protective, but apparently he was. Maybe he and Ray had been especially close, or Michael was just like that to everyone in his team.

"Then you would get in trouble for hindering Pandora," Jeremy explained to him.

"So what? They wanna punish me? Lock me up? They already did!" Michael snapped at him. "Or do you think they want to straight up kill me? Too bad, Jeremy, because I am too damn useful for them! They don't get rid of their toys!"

He couldn't talk back, because after everything he had learned, he agreed, and so he just bit on his lip. He wasn't here to fight with them.

"I'm just trying to do my job, Michael."

"That's what we're doing as well! But nobody cares about that because we're guilty no matter what we do!"

With a big angry huff, Michael turned around and stomped off. Jeremy couldn't see him but could hear him just fine and didn't dare to lift his gaze. Jack was still there and he didn't know what he would find on her face.

In the end it was her who said, "Take your time."

She closed the door and Jeremy had to fight the urge to kick against the wardrobe.

"Fuck!"

 

Driving back towards Los Santos meant driving through pitch black forests and normally it would be slightly unnerving. Now though Jeremy barely paid it any mind. It was rather refreshing because it did feel like he was escaping the house and the forest and mountains all around. Like a fresh breath of air.

He hadn’t found shit in Ray’s room, nothing that could lead to him. There was still a bunch of clothes and his gaming collection was frankly impressive, but besides that nothing. Whatever Ray had taken with him, it couldn’t have been much, and still he had managed to get away.

When Jeremy had stepped out of Ray’s room, he had felt the looks of reproach he got from everyone, Michael in particular. That wasn’t a surprise and Jeremy had expected that, but it still didn’t sit right with him.

Now as he started to see the first skyscraper of Los Santos in the distance, it felt like the light at the end of the tunnel. He yearned for other humans, not demons. Someone who could get his thoughts in order because everything he had learned just seemed to run through his head without any real direction.

Hogan probably wouldn’t be the right person to do that, but he was one of the few contacts Jeremy still had. His boss had also asked to see him this week and he wanted to get this out of the way.

He couldn’t really tell how Hogan would react, after all Jeremy didn’t have too much information yet, but he hadn’t been there for that long. Even if Hogan would scream at him though, it would still be better than the judging silence back in that house.

Hogan’s office was located in one of the many buildings Kuebiko had around Los Santos. Not over the top but still pretty nice, a skyscraper towards the center of the city with a private underground garage. Even this late at night most of the windows were still illuminated, so Jeremy didn’t hesitate going inside.

Until now, Hogan had always been at his desk, no matter the time or day Jeremy had showed up. Either he lived in his office or at least in this building. After he rode up there with the elevator, he was even greeted by his secretary. The young woman was always around as well and greeted him with the same blinding smile.

"Mister Dooley, I hope you had a safe drive."

"I did. Thank you, Mathilda."

"Could I ask you to have just a little more patience? I'll let Mister Hogan know that you're here." She pointed towards two comfy looking seats before disappearing through the next door.

Jeremy didn't feel like sitting but still moved towards the windows. The look from up here was breathtaking each time but even more so after being out there in fuck all. The bristling city beneath with all its flashing lights and the streets that even at this late hour were still packed full with cars. Los Santos was alive. Sometimes in the dead of night and out there in the old motel, it felt like he might as well be the last man on earth.

Mathilda appeared not even two minutes later back through the door and waved him inside.

Hogan's office was a mess as usual. The desk in the shape of a U was nearly breaking apart from the amount of files and the three computer monitors on it. Still, Hogan somehow managed to keep an overview of all those projects he was working on - a true miracle.

The man himself didn't look too impressive.

Hogan was a middle age guy, thin as a stick and with a bald spot on top of his head. As long as Jeremy had known im, he had always worn the apparently same blue suit that was just a size too big. There was a brown spot on his orange tie, probably coffee. Jeremy always made sure not too look to closely at the carpet, because he could see way too many stains like that around the chair Hogan was sitting on.

"Jeremy, sit down!" Hogan called and pointed to the free chair across from him.

"Sorry for dropping by so late."

"You know that's no problem. I'm glad you could make it this week."

Jeremy sat down. Even though Hogan was a bit taller than him, it was hard to make him out through the monitors on his table. Jeremy always had to fight the urge to push one aside to properly talk with the other man, but he would probably start a cascade of files if he tried to.

This way he could only see one half of Hogan's face, but that was more than enough. The man was pale, with wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead that made him look way older than he actually was.

How many mental breakdowns did this guy already have or did he just not have the time for them?

If Hogan wasn't be his boss, Jeremy would love to ask him.

"So, I see you're still alive." Hogan laughed at his own joke. A single, fake 'ha' to start the conversation, and Jeremy didn't react to it.

"I’m actually starting to think that they don't want me dead, but they're clearly not pleased with me sniffing around."

"Well, that was to be expected. Did you find anything out yet?"

Jeremy shook his head.

"I was in Narvaez' room today. A lot of his stuff is still there, as if he had disappeared with only the clothes on his body. I haven't found any money though."

Hogan turned to one of his monitors and began to scroll. "Of course Narvaez was paid a certain amount of salary for his work at Pandora, but I guess you saw the games in his room. He didn't seem like the type to save it up for something that big. We calculated that if at all he could have saved up not more than a couple hundred dollars. Not enough to get too far away and start anew."

"Do you think he got help from someone?" Jeremy asked.

"Not from his family. We monitored them closely in case he returned there, but nothing."

Had Ray been that desperate? Did he really prefer a life with barely any money and possessions and familiar people over working for Pandora?

"To be honest, I didn't expect you to find any clues in this short amount of time," Hogan told him, and Jeremy was a bit surprised by that. After all, they did want Ray back as fast as possible. His gift was just too useful for Pandora.

"Our people all around the country are also searching for him. We will find him eventually and that sooner rather than later. But I was hoping with you staying with the team, you might have gotten a good reading on the other members," Hogan explained and finally turned away from his monitor. His eyes were tired and somehow old, like the man inside was so much older than his body.

"I want your opinion on this, Jeremy. Do you think the team helped Ray with his disappearance?"

He didn't have to think too much about this.

"Yes, I do."

Hogan nodded mostly to himself.

"As expected. Ramsey is way too protective over his team and has intervened with the investigations along those lines, but you being there might be key. We usually let Ramsey do whatever he wants because it's working and he has his team under control and they're successful, but this might finally be a way to get him off of his high horse."

Were they now also plotting against Geoff? He wasn't sure if he was alright with that. As far as he knew, Geoff had done nothing wrong. Fine, he had helped along with this shitty prank back when they went on the first mission, but Jeremy wasn't that petty.

"Have you had any close contact with Ramsey until now?"

"I wouldn't say so. Besides business talk, he usually keeps to himself."

"That's what I figured. Just keep an extra eye on him, will you?"

"Is Ramsey in trouble?" Jeremy asked carefully, but Hogan was quick to shake his head.

"No, no. He's just getting too powerful for my own taste. He leads a very successful team that listens to him and he knows that if we put someone else in charge, there might be some resistance from them," Hogan explained, and Jeremy relaxed a little. "If you're right and Ramsey did indeed help Narvaez to run away, he can't get away with it or who knows what else he will think of. As far as I know, he's pestering Pandora with all kinds of shit already."

"Like what?"

"The living conditions, higher payments for less work and stuff like that. I think he's forgotten that they are basically all prisoners. Even future criminals, because they will go feral eventually. It's not our jobs to shower them in luxury."

Sighing, Hogan reached up to rub his forehead.

"Thankfully that's not my job to deal with."

"But maybe he is right," Jeremy found himself saying and then backpadelled just as quickly. “I don’t mean that they should be showered in luxury and stuff, but simple things. Like the category red demons being able to go outside or something. It could potentially improve the morale of the team.”

“It’s simply too risky,” Hogan said, just like Jeremy had expected him to. “You haven’t seen the damage category red demons can cause.”

He had to think back to Ryan and his strength. Of course he could cause a lot of damage with that but he had been so careful not to use his gift. Still, the risk might be just too high.

Jeremy didn’t want to imagine what could happen if Ryan went feral. They would have to shoot him on the spot because anything else wouldn’t work.

And even though he knew that, it still felt unfair.

Maybe that showed on his face, because Hogan pulled a face that was maybe supposed to resemble a smile.

“It’s not our decision, Jeremy. But if you have any thoughts for improvements put it in your next report and I’ll let Pandora know. There aren’t many people out there who work as close as you with demons, so you might get new insights.”

“I think I will do that.”

“Good. Don’t forget to keep an eye on your mission though,” Hogan warned him and turned to on of the piles of files to pull one out. “But if the category red demons get a little antsy being inside, I might have something for them. Could you give this to Ramsey? His team hopefully has the right skills to deal with this issue.”

“A new case?” Jeremy asked as he took the file. The cover was blank.

“Yeah, something Ramsey should deal with quickly.”

“I’ll let him know.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished the story on Halloween - yay!  
> There will be 9 chapters + epilogue in total, so there's still quite a bit ahead!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You won't find shit in this house that leads to Ray because there's nothing here. You're not the first guy from Pandora to come looking for clues, just the one who stays overnight."

Chapter 5

 

Jeremy parked his car in front of the motel and leaned back in his seat with a sigh. It was nearing midnight again but he could still see some faint lights in the windows. He didn't know the layout well enough to tell exactly the rooms, but it was at least the living room and that's where he had to go by.

He would prefer not to meet with anyone because there was a headache brewing right behind his eyes, but that was a useless wish. The file sat on the passenger seat, and he had briefly thought about looking through it but had finally decided that it was too late for that.

So he would give that to Geoff and then head to bed.

If anything inside that file was relevant to him, Geoff would let him know, and in case he wanted to sent him out to hunt this demon down, he would demand to see the full file this time. He had learned from his mistakes.

Now he finally got out of the car and took a deep breath. The air was chilly and burned in his lungs, but it did help his headache a little. He walked up towards the door and pulled it open.

Inside it was warmer and it reminded him strangely of home, of a better time when someone had been waiting there for him.

Now there was only Gavin sitting on the stairs and watching him across the room.

"You're coming from Pandora?" he asked immediately, and Jeremy nodded.

"Did you guys find Ray then?"

"You really think I would be back here then?" Jeremy responded, and Gavin grinned.

"Probably not."

"Is Geoff still awake?"

"No way. He's deep asleep like the old man he is. I wouldn't try to wake him if I were you. You think category red demons are bad? You haven't seen what he would do to you!"

Jeremy huffed unimpressed and held up the file. "I have work for him."

"Put it on his desk then. He won't get started on it before breakfast anyway."

Well, that was fair. Those few hours wouldn't hurt anyone and Hogan hadn't sounded like it was that urgent. So he was already on his way to Geoff's office, when Gavin stood and skipped to him.

"Are you going to make sure I don't snoop around his stuff?"

"Of course."

"Why? Is there something I shouldn't see in Geoff's office?"

That made Gavin snort. "Don't be ridiculous. You won't find shit in this house that leads to Ray because there's nothing here. You're not the first guy from Pandora to come looking for clues, just the one who stays overnight."

"You're pretty sure about that," Jeremy just commented but didn't dwell on it. He was too tired after his last awful night. Hopefully he would sleep better today.

"Why did you buy me that hammock?" Gavin asked, and right, he had nearly forgot about that.

"I just figured it would be a nice gesture."

"If you wanna get into my pants that won't work," Gavin said matter of factly, and Jeremy nearly tripped over his own feet.

"That wasn't my intention! Jesus, Gavin!"

Gavin just shrugged. "I figured that might be your reason."

"Why are you all so fucking distrustful? Ryan as well!"

"Because a human is not trying to kill us," Gavin responded and fine, that was a good reason, so Jeremy just huffed.

"It was just a nice gesture," he said again as he pulled open the door to Geoff's office. He threw the file on his desk and left the room again without even switching on the light.

Gavin seemed pleased with that but his eyes didn't leave him for a second. He reminded him of a hawk in that moment, watching and waiting for any weakness of his.

"If you say so. Thank you then," he said, but it didn't sound honest. Maybe Jeremy had expected too much on that part, so he just grunted as an answer.

The way back towards the stairs was quiet and it was unnerving, the way Gavin always lingered one step behind him, his sharp green eyes watching, and suddenly Jeremy asked himself what kind of gift Gavin had.

If it was some form of mind control or if he could read his thoughts.

Maybe he could see right through the back of his head and into his thoughts, knowing exactly what Jeremy was thinking. All his doubts and fears and dreams right there.

The thought made him shiver and he couldn't fight the urge to turn around. Now though Gavin was trying to stifle a yawn behind his hand and didn't look threatening at all. All he did was squeeze past him to jump up the first step of the stairs.

"Good night then," he called from above him before disappearing around the corner, and a bit perplexed Jeremy stopped in his tracks.

At least he could relax, because apparently Gavin wasn't a menacing mind reader after all, but he had obviously waited for him to come back. Either to try and pry some informations from him or to thank him in this weird way.

"Good night."

 

* * *

 

"Did you get this from Hogan?" Geoff asked the moment Jeremy stepped into the kitchen the next morning. He had finally slept to at least 8 am and took a moment to recognize the file Geoff was holding up.

"Yeah. It's a new mission, isn't it?"

"It is. A pretty serious one at that." He threw the file onto the kitchen table, where a sleepy Ryan was munching on his cereal. He pulled his bowl away and turned away from the table.

"It's way too soon to talk business, Geoff."

"Oh shut up, Ryan. You won't even be part of the mission."

"Good."

Jeremy sat down and forgot about his own breakfast in order to open the file. Yesterday he hadn't checked on it but now Geoff wanted him to and instantly a few photos slipped out. Now he was glad that he hadn't peeked last night because he instantly got a feeling of dread.

The picture showed a completely burned out building, and it was impressive in itself that that thing was still standing. Looked like a gust of wind could take the whole three-story house down.

"The demon can control fire?" Jeremy asked and showed the picture to Ryan who had scooted closer to watch over his shoulder. Apparently pictures like that didn't ruin his appetite because he was still chewing.

"No, but fire is a side effect of his gift," Geoff explained and sat down on the opposite side of the table. He just had a mug with black coffee in front of him and looked grim. "Pandora hasn't quite figured out the gift, but it seems for now like this demon is creating explosions which create massive damage by the looks of it."

Jeremy felt his heart sink as he took another look at the photos. How everything was barely holding together and the inside was empty like a black void. If a huge fire hadn't caused that but instead an explosion...

Even Ryan finally put his spoon down.

"That's bad," he mumbled and took some of the pictures. "Not only the destruction. Most of all the panic it could cause; the fear of a terrorist attack would also rise. Depending on the power of that gift and the power behind the explosions, the body count could reach the thousands."

"If possible, Pandora wants this demon alive," Geoff said solemnly, and Jeremy felt the pictures slipping through his hands.

"What?"

"This gift is obviously very powerful, so of course they want it for themselves," Geoff explained but was already shaking his head. "But I can't see how we could manage to pull that off. Taking this person out will be dangerous enough and we don't have Ray around anymore in case some of us mess up. We have to be insanely careful just to get close."

"You wanna send in Michael surely."

Jeremy hadn't noticed Jack, but she was standing in the doorway and had obviously listened in. She wasn't looking at the file but at Geoff instead.

"Maybe even Gav?"

"If I can get permission to sent him out," Geoff agreed. "I'll have to talk to him first though. Make sure he can help with his gift at all."

"He might also know more about this demon in general. Maybe he has something about that; wouldn't want to get surprised by a secret gift we didn't know about," Ryan said, already standing up. Jeremy followed him nearly on auto-pilot with the file in hand. They all knew they had to act fast to find out as much as possible.

As they stepped into Gavin's room, he didn't know what he had expected. Something along the lines of his own room probably, but here every available surface was covered in either old books or some technology. Jeremy eyed the huge PC in awe and barely paid it any mind that Gavin himself wasn't in the room in the first place.

"Wait here, I'll get him," Ryan told him before disappearing down the hallway.

Feeling a little awkward, Jeremy looked around. There was a little corner with a bed and a fluffy looking blanket, but Gavin probably only used it occasionally because it was all too narrow in here with all the things standing around. He had to have a second room somewhere - fuck, even the window was covered by a bookshelf!

The books inside looked old. Did they contain the information and names of different demons? He didn't dare to touch them and before curiosity got the best of him, the door opened again.

A very sleepy Gavin was pushed inside and blinked owlishly at Jeremy before shouldering past him to sit down on the small desk.

"File," he said and held out his hand.

"Oh right." He handed the file over and while the PC booted up, Gavin skimmed through it.

"Not a demon you recognize?" Ryan asked and sat down on the small bed. It was too crowded for the both of them to stand behind the desk.

"I have an idea but I don't want to go on a whim here. Maybe this demon can use chemicals or different things to cause an explosion."

Gavin stopped at the photos and took a closer look before shrugging.

“Honestly, I’m not an expert though. This does look like it was destroyed by a fire for all I can see, but the reports say it was some form of explosion. I think I read of at least one fitting demon, but of course the reports don’t include all the demons.”

“Did you read all those books here?” Jeremy couldn’t help but ask as he let his eyes travel over the little library in the room.

“I’m working on a database of different demons for Pandora,” Gavin explained and opened a program on his PC. “I don’t go on many missions and they don’t like people just lazing around. So I went through the old records from Yevetal and what eyewitnesses and hunters report. Of course it's far from being complete, but this gift does ring a bell."

"Geoff is considering sending you," Ryan told him and even Jeremy could tell how worried he was over that.

Gavin just gave some sort of a humming noise as an answer before nodding to the photos.

"Makes sense, doesn't it? I can maybe keep the destruction to a minimum when we face this guy."

"Um..." Jeremy asked a little awkward. He was standing in between them both and felt a little out of place. "If I may ask, what's your gift?"

Gavin actually turned around in his chair to stare at him before he laughed. Holding his hand out, he snapped his fingers. A glaring hot flame shot towards the ceiling but he caught it back into his fist to extinguish it into a puff of sparks.

"I can control fire," he explained needlessly. "It is possible that I can keep the fire that this guy creates down, which would make the whole mission safer for everyone. I'm guessing Michael-boi will come with me?"

"Wait, but does it even work like that?" Ryan interrupted him. He scooted closer to the edge of the bed to touch Gavin's knee. "You can't control someone else's gift, no matter how similar they are."

"That depends if the fire is part of his gift or just a byproduct from well... exploding things and stuff." Gavin pointed towards the PC over his shoulder. "And I'm pretty sure if I'm right then that's exactly the case. I read about this demon before, I just have to look it up."

"You better make absolutely sure because that's pretty risky if you're wrong."

"It's sweet that you worry about me but I'll be fine, Rye," Gavin teased him with a grin. "I'm way longer in this business than you. I'm like a veteran!"

"I have way more missions under my belt than you!"

Gavin laughed and turned back towards his PC. Jeremy also had to smile over their banter but couldn't just put it off like Gavin. The smell of the fire he had created just a minute ago was still lingering around and that little thing alone might have cause a catastrophe. With all the old books in here, the room would've started to burn before any of them could react. Who knew, maybe the motel would have followed along.

"What if you're wrong and you can't control it?" Jeremy asked.

"Then I'm pretty fucked," Gavin said easily. "I can't think of anyone who could counter this gift otherwise."

"Besides a damn sniper," Ryan muttered.

"Yeah, but if possible Pandora wants this demon alive."

"Fuck them then! _They_ don't have to risk their asses out there!"

"Rya-"

"Pandora can't possibly expect you guys to capture this demon. How would you want to pull that off?" Jeremy interrupted them before they could start to truly argue.

"Don't know. Surely it's possible, but yeah, pretty bloody risky."

"Take them out anyway."

Gavin just held the file up to point at the passage that probably said they should capture them alive and shrugged.

"Not my choice to make."

"Still-"

"Okay, can we stop panicking for a second? Let me first figure out with what we have to deal with, okay?" Gavin offered and threw the file back on his table. "So give me a moment to breathe and a mug of tea. I just got up after all."

 

"Our demon is most likely called Noval," Gavin explained, half an hour later. They had relocated to the kitchen where they sat around the table, drinking coffee. Gavin still carried his mug and it didn't look like he had touched it while working.

"I found them in some old Yevetal reports. Pretty nasty guy actually, and the last time they appeared, they were just taken out. Which would be our best bet as well, but we all know that Pandora thinks differently."

"What do you know about their gift?" Geoff asked.

"Well, explosions obviously. The fire is just a byproduct, which is good. Not so good is everything else. Noval can touch any surface to implant his gift there and trigger it at a later time. Kinda like a real bomb, only that you can't see it. Oh, and with any surface I also mean like skin and clothes and shit. So... really shouldn't get touched by Noval."

"They could literally plant a bomb on you and you wouldn't even know?"

"Basically. They do have to stay in the area to activate it though but besides that you're fucked. We are as well, because no way we can capture them without close contact. Or like lock them away? They'll just bomb their way through."

"I'll talk to Pandora," Geoff said. "I'm not sending you guys out on a suicide mission if it's pointless from the get go and we can't contain them."

"I wouldn't see what kind of prison would hold them and as long as Pandora can't figure out those bindings...Only a Cleanser could help, but I don't see the point in that."

"Wait," Jeremy interrupted them. "There are bindings for demons?"

"Well, not exactly," Gavin told him. "I found them in the reports from Yevetal. Apparently there was a certain kind of golden chains, that as long as they were wrapped around a demon possessed human, were able to totally negate their gifts. Unfortunately the knowledge about them seems to be lost and in the books they don’t describe how to make them.” He shrugged. “They would make our lives so much easier.”

"Well great," Jeremy muttered. "And this other thing? Cleanser or whatever?"

This time it was Geoff who answered, "There are around three people worldwide who can negate a demon's gift by a simple touch. If they're strong enough they can even perform an exorcism. Pandora calls them Cleansers."

"Problem is though that you'd have to touch Noval to negate their gift, while Noval has to touch you to literally plant a bomb on you. It's a matter of seconds who gets out of there," Jack threw in and Geoff nodded slowly.

He got up then and left the room, probably to give Pandora a call.

For a while nobody said a thing, thinking about the possibilities and Jeremy didn't dare to throw something in. For him it was clear as day that capturing this Noval was absolutely impossible and not even worth trying. That should be obvious.

But as he looked in the worried faces around the table, he began to grasp that it wasn't the same with them. These people around him were demons, ticking time bombs to be used as long as possible. If Pandora got the choice to exchange an old, not as useful demon for a new one they might just do that. And everyone here was well aware of that fact.

Jeremy looked up but couldn't quite read Gavin's expression. He had his mug of tea in front of him and was tracing the rim thoughtfully with his finger. He would be sent out there and for what Jeremy had learned by now, Gavin wasn't considered useful by Pandora's standard. His gifts were too specific and dangerous.

What about Michael? He wasn't even awake yet and didn't know what was going on. Jeremy didn't know anything about his gift but he was a category yellow demon - would that give him a better or worse chance?

He didn't know these people for very long and he was well aware of the risk of demons. He had seen enough shit to know just what they were capable of, but that didn't change much. Right now he was sitting here with these people, drinking coffee for God's sake. They didn't deserve to be used like something disposable, just to be locked away until they were needed or used up.

A door slammed somewhere in the house and he already knew that it was Geoff, and it wasn't hard to guess why he was so upset. Gavin's finger paused for a moment before following the same track around his mug again.

"Pandora said to try our damndest to catch Noval," Geoff told them as he walked in. "Catching them would greatly profit Pandora and they do not recommend just choosing the easy way out."

Ryan's mug shattered in his hand but Jeremy was the only one who jumped. Maybe that was a common thing here, but he could understand the anger, could feel it brew in his own stomach.

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair.

On the other side of the table Gavin slipped from his chair and moved to get out of the room.

"Send me with them," Jeremy found himself saying. Everyone turned towards him, but he just held Geoff's gaze. "If I'm the one shooting Noval, Pandora can't really blame or punish your team."

"That's too dangerous, Jeremy. You're just a human," Jack said quietly, but he didn't look at her.

"I'm a hunter though. Wouldn't be the first demon I shot."

"This is the first category red demon you would face," Geoff told him, but he sounded intrigued. Gavin had stopped on his way out and was staring at him with wide eyes.

"You could die."

"I'm here to spy on you, so I kinda have to stay close, don't I?"

"That's hardly a reason," Gavin said. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I hate the bullshit Pandora is pulling here." And saying it felt kinda cathartic.

"What's going on here isn't right."

 

* * *

 

"I heard what you offered Geoff about the mission. Do you really mean it?"

Turning around, Jeremy found Michael standing in the doorway.

He had figured he would be relatively alone here because Gavin and Ryan were back to researching information about Noval and Geoff and Jack had disappeared into the office, probably to discuss the mission. Also until now he had never seen anyone use this sitting room. He had kinda found it on accident, and even though it looked like it belonged in the 70's at least the armchairs were comfortable.

"I think so." Because now there were doubts. It was dangerous, there was no denying that, and as he sat here in silence, he couldn't help but remember that first demon he had killed or Lindsay's story. Those horrible, horrible pictures he had seen as a hunter.

Michael had to be able to tell but he just smiled. Closing the door, he let himself fall into another arm chair and looked around.

"Geoff likes this room. He loves to read and it's usually quiet here, but the decor is awful. Jack is trying to fix it but unfortunately that woman has no taste whatsoever. Don't tell her I said that though."

Jeremy huffed, amused, but they both knew that Michael wasn't here because of that, and sure enough he leaned forward just a moment later.

"My demon is called Triella, and before I made a deal with her I was scared that one day I would just go feral and hurt a lot of people," he began, apparently no fan of easing into topics. "Now though, I'm not scared of that anymore. Triella and I work together very well and I've never once feared that she would take over. That's just not her style, you know?"

Jeremy did not know. How could he? At least Michael seemed sure enough of it.

"What is it like to have a demon?"

Michael hummed as he thought about it. He was leaning back in his seat, arms cross as he stared up at the ceiling.

"That's really hard to tell because it's different for everyone. Some don't feel any different, like their demon isn't even there. At least Gavin says so. Triella is pretty active in that matter though." He gesticulated vaguely to his head. "There's basically someone else in your head, a foreign matter that you can't reach. Another mind. There are some demons that are human-like and you can communicate with them, but Triella? When I imagine her I kinda think of a cat."

He laughed to himself. "That's probably weird but it's true. Most of the time she's asleep but when she's awake she surely wants my attention. But never has she been cruel or done something against my will. With her I won't go feral."

"How can you be sure?" Jeremy asked, and Michael just shrugged.

"I can't. The same way you can't be sure that the person you went to school or worked with will snap. Maybe demons are more likely to go feral, but that doesn't mean that all of them will do that."

"Hogan said that by now every demon has gone feral."

"Bullshit," Michael said right away. "How can they say that? I'm not feral, nobody out of this team is. I heard of more demons dying on missions than them finally snapping. It's not like we have a long life span once we make a deal."

Jeremy turned towards him but Michael wasn't done yet. He was watching the room in concentration.

"I don't fear that I will go feral because Triella isn't like that. Triella is meant to protect," he said slowly. "What I do fear is dreaming too deeply. When I see these other things, those stories or worlds or whatever this is, I always want to dig deeper. One day I won't wake up from it."

He said it with such a certainty that it hurt Jeremy's heart. He had seen Michael sleepwalking and how deep it had seemed, like he was unreachable.

"Why did you do it then?" Jeremy asked.

"Make a deal with Triella?"

"Yeah."

For a while Michael didn't answer, but he didn't have the feeling that he had overstepped any boundaries. No, Michael was just pondering over his words.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk with you about," he admitted. "Because before I stepped through the portal I was working for Pandora like you. Ryan and some of the other team as well. They were looking for volunteers."

"Yeah, I heard about that," Jeremy said, but even to his ears his voice sounded thin and too quiet.

"This job brings a lot of money and that might sound stupid and childish, but in the end that was my reason," Michael told him with a short, fake laugh. "Granted I can't do much with it because I can't leave this place, but it goes to my family. So that's what I went for."

"Do they... know?"

"That I'm a demon? Hell no! They think I'm dead meat!" Again that fake laugh and this time Jeremy had to shiver. "But with that simple decision I basically assured that all of them would be alright. Even if I'd have died for real Pandora would pay them good money. My family isn't very wealthy, so they can use the cash. It's just sad that I can't see them anymore."

Michael fell silent. He leaned forward in his seat with his elbows braced on his knees and his brows furrowed in concentration.

Jeremy couldn't help but stare at him while he collected the needed courage to ask, "Do you regret your decision?"

"Sure. Sometimes. I don't think you can make such a heavy sacrifice without wondering if it was necessary from time to time. But what's done is done." Again he shrugged, but then he finally looked at Jeremy again. His eyes were brown, not tinted red like back in the night and he wondered why he had been afraid before.

"Do you know why I'm telling you this, Jeremy?"

"I-"

"Pandora will give you this choice one day. To become a demon and work in one of these teams. They're always looking for new volunteers." Reaching out, Michael laid a hand on his arm. "More importantly though, if you continue to help us, to help this team, they can get very persistent, Jeremy. They can make you go through that portal even if it means dragging you there. If you ask too many question or try to help the wrong people... you have to know what you're getting yourself into."

It felt like his heart was gonna stop. To think that Pandora would do something like that, no, by the way that Michael was looking at him, the other was sure Jeremy wouldn't be the first one. The worst thing was, he didn't doubt it. Not for one second. He just hadn't dare to let his thoughts travel in that direction, but now fear had a tight grip around his heart.

He always had the feeling that he was in way over his head but until now he had never truly grasped how true that was.

Michael squeezed his arm before getting up.

"Think about your choices, Jeremy. I think you're a nice guy and everything and I hate that we're basically on different sides, but see that as a fair warning. What you do with it is up to you though."

Michael was already halfway out of the room when Jeremy found his voice again.

"Michael? What's on the other side of the portal?" He didn't even know why he was asking that, what it had to do with anything at all, but Michael looked at him as if he'd expected that question.

"On the other side is The Nether," he told him. "On the other side is hell."

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be gone this weekend to see Starset + Shinedown live (VIP tickets, the HYPE my people, the HYPE)
> 
> Noval - Nova, as in Supernova btw


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next to him Michael cracked his knuckles but when Jeremy threw him a glance, he could tell how tight the other‘s face was.
> 
> „Let's get this bitch then.“

Chapter 6

 

„Are you scared?“ Jeremy asked. He was sitting on the stairs and Gavin was next to him, tapping his foot restlessly.

„I guess I should be,“ Gavin admitted, but couldn‘t hide his grin. „Honestly though, I‘m rather excited. The sun is shining.“

That made Jeremy smile as well as he looked out the windows. He would still take a jacket because the wind was chilly but the sun was warm and the air tasted like autumn. It was one of the last beautiful days this year and nothing could change that fact.

Pandora had called in the early morning hours to let them know that they had found Noval‘s current location. An abandoned lawyer‘s office by the looks of it. They had to act immediately before Noval disappeared again.

„What about you?“ Gavin asked, and Jeremy just nodded. Of course he was scared, but the sad part was his reason. It wasn‘t so much because he would probably come into contact with such a dangerous demon, but rather because he couldn‘t make up his mind. Michael‘s warning had haunted him, and even though helping take out Noval had been such an easy decision before, now he hesitated. He shouldn‘t; it was already too late and Gavin was sitting there, counting on him. It wasn‘t even like there was another choice besides going against Pandora - they still had no idea how to capture that demon otherwise.

„That‘s fair though,“ Gavin just went on. His foot went up and down, up and down in a frantic pattern. „First time you’ve faced a category red demon, right? Not all of them are such great guys as me and Ryan!“

He huffed over his own joke but his leg continued to give him away. „I don‘t get sent out much, but it‘s usually category red demons and let me tell you the first one I met was terrifying. It was this chick who-“

„Gav!“ Michael called from somewhere in the house and they both turned around to the nearing steps. „We can go outside! We just got the permission!“

„Really?“ Gavin jumped to his feet but didn‘t dart to the door. He kept close to it though, not able to hold still.

„I just made sure,“ Geoff called from down the hallway as he stepped from his office.

That was enough and Michael was barely able to pull open the door before Gavin sprinted down the stairs, Michael on his heels. He could hear them yell and scream and run around like little children.

There was no hesitation from Michael like Jeremy had seen before and he figured it was because he didn‘t want to scare Gavin.

„Still gives me chills each time they go through that door,“ Jack said behind him before she sat down next to him.

„Me too.“

„You got your gun?“

He pulled his weapons from his holster and put it in his lap. The gun felt cold and foreign in his hands and he had already checked on his ammo three times today. Now Jack put a single finger on it, and even through her gloves the runes lit up in a sparkling blue.

„I fear my enchantment won‘t help you much today,“ she said. „But there is no way you got this far without knowing how to use this thing, so I try not to worry too much.“

Jeremy couldn‘t help but smile. He didn‘t know Jack for very long but he was sure that she was able to worry about nearly everything.

„The enchantment will help in its own way, Jack. I‘m very happy with it.“

Because thanks to that single touch the metal felt warmer and reminded him that this wasn‘t the first rodeo for him. Still, usually he went alone or with another hunter he didn‘t even really know. This felt different.

Jack squeezed his arm in a gesture that was supposed to be reassuring but he noticed how she flinched at the pain. Through the gloves he couldn‘t tell any difference, but he remembered vividly how foreign her skin had felt before.

„I‘ll check on the two outside. Make sure they don‘t run off and forget that they are supposed to do their work.“

She didn‘t have to worry about that, because the second Jack stepped out of the door, Jeremy could hear Gavin‘s excited chatter. Truly like little children.

He got up as well and found Ryan in the living room, watching them at a safe distance from the door through the window. He didn‘t look good, pale and worried, and everyone had noticed that he hadn‘t eaten a thing this morning. Now he only briefly looked at Jeremy before turning back around.

Jeremy wanted to say something, assure Ryan that it would be fine and all they basically had to do was put a bullet into Noval‘s head, but it wasn‘t that easy, was it?

Jeremy still feared the consequences if he did so and if he opened his mouth now, Ryan could notice. So he went outside instead and the sun was warm on his arms.

That made everything a little easier, and in the next second Gavin was standing right in front of him, grin so wide it looked nearly obscene. Sunshine suited him and made his bleached hair shine, but it also showed how pale he was.

„It‘s still so warm, Jeremy!“

„It is.“

„The wind is kinda cold though and the leaves are already changing colors! I wanna take a walk through the forest!“

There was such a yearning in his voice that it even dimmed his smile.

„Maybe when we get back?“ Jeremy offered, but it didn‘t help.

„I don‘t think so. I don‘t think it will be that easy, but that would be nice, wouldn‘t it?“

„Yeah, it would be.“

Looking up, they both noticed as Geoff stepped out as well, and Jeremy tried to calm down. They were heading out now, and he couldn't help himself but pull his gun out one more time to check on it.

"I'll grab my stuff real quick," Gavin called and hurried back inside.

"Sure, we have all the time in the world," Michael huffed, but it didn't sound mean. He was sitting on the hood of the car and held his face in the sun. Jack stood next to him but turned to talk with Geoff instead.

Jeremy was ready to join them when he remembered his jacket. It was still on the stairs and he jogged back inside to get it.

What he didn't expect was finding both Gavin and Ryan in a close embrace. What was an even bigger surprise was the fact that both of them were also kissing. With Gavin tightly grasping Ryan's jaw and Ryan's hands on his hips.

It was already a big enough shock to see Ryan touching anyone, so Jeremy had no idea how to handle this. In the end his solution was to kinda... stand there very awkwardly and stare, before blurting out a quick, "Sorry!"

He didn't wait to see if they had even noticed or let go of each other. He just turned on the spot and hurried to get to the car.

"Good luck," Jack wished him as he passed her, and normally that would be reassuring, but now he just nodded.

"Thanks, you too!"

Slipping into the car felt like some kind of lifeline until he was acutely aware that he would be sitting on the back seat together with Gavin for the ride. He wasn't even sure what was so damn awkward about the situation. It had just surprised him. Jesus, he wasn't a teenager anymore, and if those two were trapped in that house at all time it was probably only natural.

The door next to him opened and Gavin slipped inside. He didn't look at him but promptly threw his jacket towards him.

"Where you looking for that?" Gavin asked, his voice cold.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Can we drive now or did you guys forget something else? Did you bring the lunch boxes Jack made you?" Geoff called from the front, but only Michael snickered. Jeremy was too aware of the way Gavin had folded his arms over his chest and slid down in his seat. He did look like a sulking teen in that moment.

They began their drive, and even though the other two had to noticed the tense situation, they were just quietly chatting with each other. Jeremy would love to join them but now as he pushed the whole Gavin-Ryan situation away, he had to think about the actual reason why he was in this car, and his heart sank.

Last night he had gotten a surprisingly good sleep and he had been glad for it, but right now he rather wished that he had never left his bed at all. This would be his first time actually facing a category red demon and thinking about what could go wrong made his throat all tight.

Michael had sat him down and explained to him how his gift worked, and that would be the key to the whole thing. Where Gavin could hopefully help control the damage, Michael could form shields around them. According to him they couldn't be broken by anything at all, not even the explosions, and Jeremy couldn't do much than hope that he was right. Those shields would be the only thing standing between him and getting his face blown off.

"Jeremy?" Gavin's voice was tiny, nearly that of a child, and surprised, he turned around. Gavin was watching his fingers as they restlessly played with the seam of his shirt. "Will you tell Pandora about Ryan and I?"

He spoke so quietly that it was hard to understand over the chatter coming from the front but when he did get it, he was surprised. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

"I don't think that's necessary."

Gavin spun around and stared at him, eyes wide in bewilderment. Only then it dawned to Jeremy that it wasn't allowed, a relationship between demons. That both of them were category red demons didn't help the matter, and both of them had probably tried their best to keep it a secret from him.

He didn't know what Pandora would do if they found out, but it couldn't be good. They would surely separate them, move them to different teams or something.

"It's not really Pandora's business, is it?"

Gavin was still staring at him, but now he could see a spark of hope in the other's eyes.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

He continued to watch him for a while longer before he relaxed and sink back into his seat.

"Thank you, Jeremy." And for the first time it sounded genuine coming from Gavin. It made him smile.

"What are you guys talking about?" Michael asked from the front. He had turned around in his seat and was watching them curiously.

For a moment Jeremy wasn't sure what to tell him, after all he couldn't tell how open Gavin and Ryan were about the whole thing, but Gavin was faster than him anyway.

"Jeremy saw me and Ryan snogging in the hallway."

It grew very quiet in the car and everyone was watching him now, he could feel it. Then Gavin reached over to pat him on the shoulder and that broke the spell.

"I knew that you two couldn't keep your hands off of each other for the duration of Jeremy's stay," Michael said easily, and Geoff just huffed.

"As if! That wasn't even a question! It was about if they could keep it a secret from Jeremy."

"Actually we did bet on it, didn't we? Thinking about it, I might have won a few bucks."

"You guys did wha-"

"Slow down there, champ!" Geoff interrupted Gavin's betrayed call. "Jack has it all written down. No celebrating until we check in with her!"

Jeremy couldn‘t help but chuckle as Gavin started to pout.

 

„There we are,“ Geoff said as he parked the car at the side of the street. „The building Pandora informed us about is around the corner, but it‘s better not to just run in there.“

„Do we have information on Noval‘s position?“ Michael asked, but after a glance on his phone, Geoff shook his head.

„Nothing new from Pandora, so all we know is that Noval is in that house. Pandora does have visual on it though, so if they see something they‘ll let us know.“

„If we can‘t see Noval, he shouldn‘t be able to see us if we approach,“ Jeremy added. „So we don‘t have to be super stealthy. As long as we can get inside without making a noise, we might take him out without any casualties.“

„Let's hope so,“ Gavin mumbled. He was the first to open his door and get out of the car. Jeremy followed along and was surprised how heavy the air felt.

After all the clear air around the motel, he could taste the pollution. Before he hadn‘t noticed, and how Gavin could still take in deep breaths was beyond him.

They followed Geoff down the road and Jeremy already knew where they were heading too. The building only stood three stories high, but it surely had been beautiful. Now it was all boarded up and the walls were smeared with graffiti. The abandoned parking lot was slowly but surely collecting rubbish, and Jeremy barely avoided kicking a bottle as they walked towards the building.

What had Geoff said? An old lawyers’ office? Yeah, he could somehow see that.

As casually as possible they walked past but it was hard to tell if someone was watching them thanks to the boarded up windows.

„You might be able to get in through that window on the left side,“ Geoff said as casually as if he was talking about the weather.

Jeremy saw it as well, someone had clearly worked on the planks there to get inside as well. Most likely Noval.

They passed by the building and stopped when they couldn‘t be seen anymore. Besides them, there weren‘t many people around, and Pandora would make sure it would stay that way. Probably a fake accident somewhere down the road.

„Last chance to back out,“ Geoff said, and it took Jeremy a moment to realize that he was talking to him. Right, he didn‘t have to step a single foot into that building. That was Michael‘s and Gavin‘s job, not his.

Still, even though he had doubted his decision this morning, the thought hadn‘t crossed his mind yet.

„I‘m ready,“ he assured him and pulled out his gun. The blue runes pulsed in the same rhythm as his heartbeat.

Next to him Michael cracked his knuckles but when Jeremy threw him a glance, he could tell how tight the other‘s face was.

„Let's get this bitch then.“

They left Geoff behind as they walked over the abandoned parking lot and when Jeremy threw a look over his shoulder he found the worry obvious in his face. If there would have been a way to help them, he was sure Geoff would join them, but that would be ridiculous. No need to put someone else in danger in this mission.

Also Jeremy was pretty sure that Pandora was watching them closely, every move they made. It would be hard enough to explain what he was doing here with Michael and Gavin, least of all Geoff.

They reached the window and Gavin just had to tap the remaining board for it to fall down. Someone had just placed it there to look like it was still boarded up.

„I‘ll go in first,“ Michael said and pushed Gavin aside. „Don‘t move too far away from me. I want to keep the shield around us as small as possible.“

To conserve energy, Jeremy knew and nodded. He stood back as Michael climbed inside and then helped boost Gavin up before following himself.

The room he found himself in had probably been a waiting room of some sort because of the amount of chairs pushed against the wall. All in all it was hard to tell though, because even the wallpaper was starting to peel from the walls. He did, however, see some rather fresh footprints on the otherwise dusty floorboards and pointed towards them.

If they managed to quietly follow these tracks they could hopefully get out of here in the next few minutes, but that would be the best case scenario.

He carefully pulled open the door and only managed a peak at the hallway beyond before everything was engulfed in a deafening _boom ._

The next thing Jeremy knew he was on the floor and there was a high screeching noise boring into his head. The door he had just pulled open was burning brightly, but at the second glance it looked like the flames were frozen in time.

Only then did he notice Gavin standing over him, one hand stretched out towards the flames that slowly died down as he closed his hand to a fist.

„Do you guys think Noval knows we‘re here now?“ Gavin asked without any amusement in his voice, but Jeremy ignored him.

Michael was kneeling next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. His eyes were blood red and Jeremy had to fight not to reel back from him.

„You okay?“

„Yeah, just scared the crap out of me.“

„That was a fucking close one.“

Oh, it had been. Only slowly Jeremy started to realize how close. That door had literally exploded in his face and under any other circumstances would have blown his head clean off.

„Jesus Christ,“ he mumbled mostly to himself. „Did Noval see us come inside?“

„Maybe, but it only detonated when you opened the door. So it maybe reacted to the movement,“ Gavin said.

„You never said anything about fucking proximity bombs!“

„Because it wasn‘t in the reports, but you and me both know that demons get stronger over time.“

This time Jeremy reeled back and bumped into Michael.

Gavin had turned around and now smiled ruefully. His eyes were pitch black like something straight out of a horror movie, and Jeremy had to fight down every instinct in his chest to get up and run, most of all after the shock right now.

Gavin had to notice, but if he was hurt by it, he didn’t let it show.

“Can you stand?”

“Probably.”

Michael pulled him up to his feet before pulling out a gun. “So much for the stealth part then.”

Gavin nodded and followed suit. His gun was, for whatever reason, fucking golden, and under any other circumstances Jeremy would’ve gladly asked what the fuck was the point of that, but now he rather bit his tongue.

He could see the blue runes on both weapons glow.

“Stay behind me,” Michael said and pushed himself past them. Jeremy couldn’t see the shield around them, but it had to be there, otherwise his head would be somewhere on the empty parking lot out there. What was also worrying was the fact that he also hadn’t seen the bomb Noval had placed. Even now as he threw another glance at the door he could see a ring of black sludge around a part of the wood where it had burned before Gavin stopped it, but in the middle of it was nothing. No mark to indicate how dangerous it was like a handprint or even a rune - something!

As he turned back around to look down the hallway he couldn't make out anything as well. There was faded graffiti and thrown away garbage, nothing out of the ordinary. But all of that could explode in their faces.

"This is a fucking stupid idea," he whispered, but nobody answered. Gavin just pressed on his arm as he passed him by, but to be honest with the pitch black eyes it wasn't as reassuring as it was meant to be.

Michael stepped out into the hallway and Jeremy followed him rather reluctantly. There was a noise coming from upstairs and they all hesitated.

Could be nothing, could be something that had been knocked down after the ruckus from just a moment ago. Or it could be Noval.

Whatever it was, Michael seemed ready to take the chance. He set foot on the first step of the stairs and all hell broke loose.

This time the explosion came from the wall to their right and the shockwave threw Michael into the railing.

For a second Jeremy could see the form of the shield around them as it was engulfed in bright red flames before Gavin stepped up to control them. Jeremy hurried to Michael but the other was already getting back on his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Fuck thi-"

The next explosion was at their back and they were hurtled straight into the stairs. The steps buried themselves painfully into his side but worse was the blooming heat around. The fire roared above them, feeding on the old wallpaper and older wood of the stairs.

"Gav!" he called, but Gavin was already fighting to get back to his feet. The second explosion had also thrown him like a toy and he was cursing quite colorfully about it.

This wasn't working. Jesus Christ, that wasn't working at all! They had counted on the element of surprise but it was long gone. Now they were just getting thrown around and the fire was spreading faster than Gavin could stop it in the old building.

"I'll strengthen the shield so the shockwaves won't reach us anymore, but I can't keep that up for long," Michael called over all the noise.

"I can't control the fire through that!" Gavin protested, but Michael just shook his head.

"We'll rush this guy, otherwise we won't get anywhere!"

He didn't wait for an answer, just picked himself up and began to run upstairs. Jeremy tried to follow him, but it was hard to bring his body to run straight through the fire. He could still feel the heat even if it was parting for them, but somehow that stopped as well.

The fire flickered in and out of existence, and Jeremy threw a glance to Gavin, but the other didn't appear to do anything. No, it wasn't even just the fire. It was also the walls, the old wallpapers replaced by a fresh layer of paint. The steps he took not dusty but clean and pretty in the soft sunlight. As he turned around there was a pretty little entrance with shoes laying around. Kids’ shoes of all things.

What was going on?

A hand shot up to grasp him and startled him out of his trance.

"Don't look too deep," Gavin told him. "Concentrate on Michael."

"Bu-"

"Do it!"

He forced his eyes to latch onto Michael's back but there were other voices coming from below. Childish laughter. The both of them turned around.

The flames that had been all around seemed fake and out of place when downstairs three kids ran out of the kitchen with snacks in one hand and a Capri Sun in the other. Jeremy wanted to warn them not to head up the stairs because it was oh so dangerous, but Gavin was faster.

"Ray?"

Ray? He only knew him from pictures, but the small boy with dark hair could be him, yeah, just so much younger.

Before he could make any sense of it, the picture flickered, and in the next second the floor beneath his feet was gone. He fell and crashed into the splintered, burning wood beneath. It should have pierced him and burned his skin, but when he opened his eyes it was crushed beneath him but with no scratch on him.

The fire and hell outside the the shield was back but when he craned his neck, he found the stairs they had just been on mostly caved in.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Michael spat behind him. Turning around, he found him sprawled on the floor, but the shield had also protected him from the worst.

"Jesus Christ," Jeremy whispered to himself and tried to get back on his feet, but his knees were weak and he felt disorientated. The light filled room from before was all gone and now the memory felt like a dream. He still had no idea what the fuck had happened, but that was hardly the most important thing right now.

The heat was beating down on him, scalding hot and unforgiving. The little break in that other... world or whatever hadn't helped and he felt how his skin started to blister. His ears were still ringing from all the explosions and left him with a hefty headache that was just starting.

From above pieces of wood and fire rained down and even though the shield protected them, Jeremy couldn't help but flinch each time something crashed against it.

"Watch out!" Gavin's voice carried a bit distortedly to him, but Jeremy had also seen it in the corner of his eye: a silhouette moving through the smoke that was slowly filling up the building. Before he could make out more, two hands were pressed against the shield, and his heart sank.

Surging forward, he grasped Gavin who was closest to him and pushed him down.

The explosion shook the ground and for a second he was sure that he was thrown into the air. His ears finally popped and all that was left was a high pitched screech in them.

Gavin fought to sit up but he kept him down, and sure enough the next explosion shook them, only that this time a fine web of cracks shot through the shield.

Jeremy's heart nearly stopped and while Gavin was calling for Michael, he just pulled out his gun. The smoke was filling the room and making it hard to see, but he could see the hands still pressing against the shield, trying to get inside, and then it would all be over. Noval surely had noticed the cracks as well.

So Jeremy shot. Three quick shots in that area and if he wasn't mistaken the runes lit up after the second and third one. Did that mean he had hit? He didn't know but he was pretty sure that he had done at least some damage because the hands disappeared.

"I think I got him!" he called, probably too loud because it was hard enough to hear himself over all that noise and the ruckus.

"Good, we gotta get out!" Gavin basically screamed at him. He was crouching next to Michael and holding him up.

Michael looked wrecked. Under the smoke that was now clinging to his sweaty face, he was pale with dark circles beneath his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week and was ready to pass out, but his eyes were still blood red.

He only seemed to concentrate on keeping that shield up.

"But-" Jeremy started to protest but stopped himself. He also wanted to get out of here. Back home where he could be happy to be still alive and hopefully take a shower. Still, he was well aware that maybe he had hit Noval, but he couldn't be sure if it was enough. He might have just grazed him, if at all.

"If Michael loses his concentration we're fucking dead! Don't think I can control all that fire, and even if so the smoke will kill us before we can find out!"

That... was a fantastic argument.

Jeremy scooted over to them, and up close Michael looked even worse. Gavin pushed him like a doll towards him and Jeremy had to steady him so he wouldn't collapse right away.

"Take him and get him out," Gavin ordered as his eyes turned pitch black again. Even with everything around them, Jeremy wanted to run away from him in that moment. "I'll open us a way out."

Jeremy pulled himself together and threw one of Michael's arms around his shoulders. As he stood Michael clung to him, barely more than a dead weight, but the shield was still holding up.

Gavin also got up and gestured him to follow him. As if he had another choice!

Personally he had long lost all orientation in this building, most of all after the stairs had collapsed or exploded or whatever it was, but Gavin seemed to have a general idea.

The way back took longer than it had any right to. The fire was like an unbreachable wall, only parting for a step at a time when Gavin neared it.

Jeremy kept close to him to not stretch the shield too much and also because he saw how the fire closed behind them again. The heat was eating away at them and he felt like he was soaked in sweat. It made smoke and ashes cling to his skin and he tried to breathe as little as possible.

His eyes were swimming but his hold on Michael didn't falter, just like the shield didn't.

Right now that was the only thing keeping them alive.

Then, suddenly, there was light. Not the red and yellow glow coming from fire but glaring sunlight. It had to be the window or something, he didn't really care as long as it was a way out.

Gavin took his arm and pulled him ahead of him.

Jeremy passed Michael on to him to climb out of the window and take him next. It would be hard enough to pull him through, but at least no flames tried to eat away at them, and suddenly there were other hands, helping along.

One of them was Geoff's but there were more people that pulled Michael through, people that Jeremy didn't recognize, but that was a worry for later.

Michael fell against him but Geoff was already fussing over him, wiping black smudges from his face as Gavin climbed out himself.

"Alright boi," Gavin said as he fell to his knees next to them. Or rather coughed it out. "We're out. You can let it go."

Wind. Wind was the first thing Jeremy noticed. Either because they were finally outside or because the shield was finally gone, because the next thing he could taste was smoke. Looking up he could see for the first time how the fire was consuming the building. There were flames licking at the roof and the column of smoke was beginning to darken the sky above.

Somewhere in the distance he could hear sirens but nothing close by. No, as he looked around he couldn't see a fire truck or an ambulance, but instead a bunch of menacing black vans.

Pandora.

"Hey!" Geoff called, and Jeremy turned back around, but it wasn't addressed to him. Instead Geoff was still leaning over Michael and pinched his cheek quite violently.

"Ow." Came from the groggy Michael.

"Don't fall asleep on me, bud."

"I'm not!"

Jeremy helped him sit up but it was all talk. Michael still looked wrecked even now though they were out. But without having to concentrate it would hopefully get better soon.

"Did you get Noval?"

He turned around to the unfamiliar voice and looked up to a woman in a suit that loomed over them. She didn't look concerned at all at their state.

"I shot at him," he finally brought out but it hurt to talk. His throat was all roughened up and he wished he had something to drink. If he remembered correctly they had some water in the car and maybe Geoff cou-

"But are they dead?" The woman interrupted his thoughts.

"I don't... I hit him!" At least he was pretty sure because the runes had lightened up, right?

Her gaze down on him was cold. "So Noval might just be hurt? We might be able to contain him then."

She said it as if it was the easiest thing in the world and Jeremy actually did a double take to the building to make sure that yes, it was fucking burning like a straw doll!

"Nobody who is still inside there is alive, lady!" he snapped at her and felt a hand fall on his shoulder, squeezing.

It was Geoff who was crouched between him and Michael.

"Miss Reese, we can just wait until the fire goes down and then look for Noval. We have men all around here, if Noval manages to get out of there we can take him out," he offered in a soothing tone.

"It seems that you have forgotten that the point of this mission is to catch Noval alive, Mister Ramsey. There is still a chance that Noval is merely hurt."

Jeremy stared up to her, completely flabbergasted. To think that someone in there was 'merely hurt' as she put it was laughable. They only made it out because of the shield!

Again Geoff squeezed his shoulder before he could open his mouth.

"None of my men are able to retrieve Noval in case he is still inside there and alive."

Her eyes narrowed and then traveled over towards Michael. Jeremy also turned around, but she had to be kidding. Michael looked like he had been chewed up and he was pretty sure that if Geoff didn't have a tight hold on him, he wouldn't be able to sit up.

Still, Michael kept eye contact with this woman like a defiant child, but even she had to see-

"Lightbringer can go inside," she finally said, and for a moment Jeremy was lost before he looked at Gavin.

Gavin, who had been silent since they came out and didn't say a thing even now. He didn't even look at her, just at the ground between his feet as he sat there, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Michael blurted out. "That building is a fucking death trap, you bit-"

"Michael!" Geoff interrupted him and was probably just a second away from clapping a hand over his mouth.

"If you're volunteering I won't stop you. Otherwise I would advise you to chose your words more carefully, Triella," Miss Reese told him. "The fire won't hurt Lightbringer. I don't see why he wouldn't be able to go inside and search for Noval?"

"Beca-" Jeremy began, now enraged himself, but this time Geoff's grip hurt. Whoever this lady was, it was clear that he didn't want to piss her off more, but Jeremy had a hard time following along.

His eyes traveled back to Gavin who had his lips pressed into a tight line. He still wasn't looking at her but kept his gaze locked with Geoff. Whatever they communicated through that, Jeremy couldn't read it but in the next second Gavin got to his feet.

"I can't promise much," he said, his voice rough as he turned to Miss Reese. "It's hard to see with all the smoke."

"Just do your job."

"Wait-" Jeremy began and finally Gavin looked at him.

This was suicide, simple as that. Sure, the fire wouldn't hurt him, but the fire wasn't really the only problem now. The smoke was bad enough but the building would collapse, sooner rather than later, and Gavin didn't have a shield to protect him from that. Not only that, by how littered this place had been with Noval's bombs, there was no way they had taken out all of them.

But Gavin knew all of that, Jeremy could tell and his only answer to that was a short brush against his own throat.

Right. The collar.

It wasn't like Gavin really had a choice in the first place. If he said no, Miss Reese would gladly remind him of that little accessory.

With that Gavin turned away from them and back towards the window they had just stumbled out of. The flames retreated from him but their heat was still overwhelming, even from here. If Jeremy could he would run after him and pull him back. What he could do was maybe talk some sense into this woman.

Before he could find the words though, Geoff squeezed his shoulder again.

"Take Michael to the car," he ordered, and Jeremy stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

This wasn't over, he couldn't let Gavin just go in there. Geoff of all people had to understand that and should be on his side!

Geoff was, Jeremy could see it when he looked at him, and still he stopped him. That didn't have to mean a thing to Jeremy, he could still go to the woman, tell her to think this through and if this was really worth it. He feared he already knew her answer to that.

So he decided to trust Geoff and nodded slowly.

Again he threw Michael's arm over his shoulder and Geoff helped them to get up. Michael was huffing out something angry, but Gavin was already gone by the time he turned back around and that nearly turned his stomach. Maybe he was a bit glad to have an excuse to not stand here and wait.

Before he could turn his back though Geoff's hand found him again and squeezed painfully.

"I'll leave Michael to you. Do not let him fall asleep," he insisted, and Jeremy nodded.

"I won't."

Geoff didn't want to worry about Michael right now, not if he had his hands full with Gavin, and that was fair. Jeremy could worry about Michael if that was all he was asking from him.

"I'm fine," Michael protested and actually pushed himself to his feet a little, taking some weight off of Jeremy.

"Then let's go."

They staggered towards the car and Jeremy couldn't remember that they had parked so far away, but granted there hadn't been so many people around before. Where did Pandora even come from? They had probably planned this from the beginning, just waited for them to arrive.

Was Noval that important to them?

That was a stupid question the more he thought about it. Of course Noval wasn't as important as they were useful to them. The kind of destruction they could cause was staggering and Jeremy could just hoped he did shoot them.

As they finally reached the car, Michael all but fell into the backseat with a sigh. Jeremy chose the front seat instead but they both left the doors open. Later the car would smell like smoke but that was the last of their problem right now.

"You really okay?" Jeremy asked and Michael was quick to nod.

"Exhausted of course, it's been a while since I had to use Triella to that degree." He threw a look towards the building but it was hard to see from here. "Maybe if I rest for a moment I can go back inside and help Gav-"

"You can't fall asleep!" Jeremy interrupted him, alarmed, but Michael just huffed.

"I didn't plan to take a nap, just to catch my breath. Also Geoff is worrying too much, I'm not tired yet. It will come later, but Triella is still alarmed. She won't give out on me for now."

Jeremy wasn't sure if he believed him but he was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The sirens were an eerie background noise and Jeremy opened the glove department if only to have something to do. He handed Michael a water bottle before opening his own.

It put his mind off what was happening a little, but soon his eyes traveled back up to the blackened sky.

"Who is this woman?"

"Dunno," Michael admitted. "Some high up from Pandora, but I'm not interested in that shit. You gotta ask Geoff about that."

"The right answer was a bitch."

Michael laughed, but it sounded dry and unamused.

"For real."

"What about Gavin?"

For a long moment Michael just nursed his water bottle as he thought about it and Jeremy was sure he had touched a nerve and the other wouldn't answer before he did.

"Depends on if you did hit Noval."

"I think I did," Jeremy said, but he couldn't be sure. Oh no, not yet.

"Then he at least doesn't have to worry about any more explosions. Gav is pretty smart even if he doesn't look like it. If he doesn't lose his cool he will be fine."

Michael tried to sound reassuring and he dad known Gavin a lot longer than Jeremy, so all he could do was hope that Michael was right. Leaning back in the seat, he gave a frustrated groan and had to fight the urge to kick the door. Not that it was the car's fault, but it would be better than nothing. In the end he didn't do it because he wasn't a child anymore. Still, the whole fucked up situation wouldn't leave his mind and after a few minutes of silence he threw a look back to Michael to make sure he really hadn’t fallen asleep.

But the other was still wide awake, watching the fire they left behind.

"What was that when we were inside? This other... place we saw?" The bright entrance hall and the light coming from inside. Most of all the kids, it had been so eerie in that moment.

"I strengthened the shield," Michael said as if that was an explanation at all, but as he leaned back in his seat, he seemed to search for the right words first. "The heat and the blasts were getting too much so I wanted the shield to close completely, to... take us out of this place and get us in a separate one. I don't know how to explain it really but in that moment we were still there on the stairs, just not on the right layer of reality, I guess?"

"You mean we were in another world or something?"

"Maybe. Could be the past or the future or whatever. It doesn't happen often like that. If I close the shield completely I kinda create a bubble, a world that only exists for the people inside the shield. Not even air passes through anymore and at some point we would all just die, but I can't even keep it that long. Sometimes it just... connects with another realm or layer or whatever. I don't know shit about that stuff."

Jeremy threw him a worried look.

That sounded positively weird, and if he hadn’t experienced it himself, he would never believe it. Thing was though, that he had seen it, had heard the laughter of children, and that was also something.

"Those kids," he began, a little unsure if he should mention it or if he had even heard right. "Gavin called one of them Ray. It could have been him by the way he looked."

Michael turned to him, something calculated in his tired eyes. He always got like that when Jeremy mentioned something about Ray; a fierce sort of protectiveness.

"It wasn't our Ray, if that's what you're asking. Not even the past Ray because it's nearly impossible for him to ever set foot in that building."

"I wasn't going to... drag him out of that vision and throw him to Pandora," Jeremy huffed, and at least that made Michael smile. The edge in his eyes faded to something kinder.

"Not that you would be able to. It's just like a window or something. We could see them in that moment but the kids didn't even notice us." He was quiet for a moment before asking, "Did you recognize the other two?"

The other two? No, he had been too preoccupied with everything else, and even now the memories of them were blurry.

"I didn't. Why?"

"Just wanted to know." He let his head fall against the headrest and sighed.

Jeremy watched attentively as Michael closed his eyes, ready to grab him if he started to nod off but Michael just pressed a hand against his forehead as if he wanted to fight off a headache.

"Is that what you see in your dreams? Scenes like that?" Jeremy couldn't help but ask and Michael nodded.

"Just clearer, more vivid. As if I'm standing there."

"Is it... scary?"

"Some are but most not. Most are trivial things like back then. Other times reality is thin and I get the feeling they can see me as well."

"Like with Pollux?"

Michael opened his eyes again, a frown on his face.

"No. I think Pollux is like me. An observer."

Michael slipped so suddenly from his seat, that for a moment Jeremy was sure he had just passed out but instead he steadied himself on the car.

"I'll go back in now and bring Gavin out," he said even though he clearly had trouble walking.

"Wha- no!"

"Triella is ready, I can put a shield up aga-"

"At least take me with you!" Jeremy also slipped out of his seat but Michael just lifted his hand to stop him.

"No offence but that won't work. I can't fully close the shield right now and keeping it around two people will be hard enough already."

"Bu-"

Then he saw the commotion over Michael's shoulder. From here they could see the burning building better, even if it resembled more a bonfire in that moment. There was no way the fire department could save it when Pandora finally allowed them access to the street.

But two people were walking towards them now and when Jeremy recognized Gavin and Geoff, he darted past Michael.

The relief he felt once he saw Gavin again was kinda surprising and breathtaking in its simplicity. But if anything had happened to Gavin in there, it would've been his fault because he hadn't been sure if he had hit Noval. And even though Geoff had to help Gavin walk and the golden hair was dimmed with black ashes, he was at least alive!

Jeremy finally reached them and tried to help Gavin along when Geoff grasped his arm. He was bearing down on him, searching something in his eyes and Jeremy wasn't sure what it was.

"Michael is still awake," he blurted out because that was the first thing that came to his mind. It didn't make Geoff let him go though.

"Can I trust you?"

Jeremy froze at that question, because there was a cold honesty in it that he couldn't place. Still, as he watched how Gavin was curled into Geoff, gasping for fresh air and with his eyes closed, he thought he might understand the reasoning behind it.

"You can, Geoff." Maybe it shouldn't be so easy to answer, but today had been awful and scary and horrid, it had changed things.

With a curt nod Geoff finally let him take a hold on Gavin and shifted his weight over to him.

"Take them home as fast as you can and call Jack while you're on the way," Geoff said sternly. "Don't let Pandora stop you, don't take any detours, just go straight home. Keep Michael awake as long as you can until I come home. I still have to deal with things here."

He wanted to ask questions but it wasn't the right time, not by the shivers working through Gavin.

"Alright."

"Good."

Jeremy wrapped his arm around Gavin and dragged him towards the car. The other seemed heavier than he had any right to be with his lithe frame, but it was how it was and he didn't dare to hold any tighter.

Gavin's head had sunk against his shoulder, and even though Jeremy couldn't make out any burns on his skin, parts of his clothes obviously got too close to the fire at some point. Beneath he could see strange black marks, like lines that painted a picture he couldn't make out but that reminded him of something.

It also wasn't the right time to think about that, and as he got closer to the car, Michael helped him drag Gavin in. For all his big talk he was out of breath by the time he slipped into the backseat together with Gavin.

Jeremy slipped behind the wheel and didn't waste any time like Geoff had asked him to. He drove off, eyes on the road and not on any Pandora employee. By the sound of it they weren't really supposed to leave, but it was laughable if anyone thought the two in his backseat could be of any more help.

The men at the blockade let him through without any question and out into the chaos. Firemen were scattered around, looking angry and unforgiving which was honestly fair enough. Pandora didn't make their job any easier by making them wait this long, and by the time the firemen would be allowed access, Jeremy would be surprised if there was more than ashes left.

He attentively drove through the people that had gathered around, watching the smoke in the distance and probably being too nosy. They barely paid attention to the street and the danger of the cars around and Jeremy grunted as he had to break once again when someone just didn't take a step to the side.

By the time they left Los Santos his head was pounding but it felt like a weight had been lifted from him. Taking a deep breath, he threw a glance into the rearview mirror.

Michael was thankfully still awake but the spirit from before was gone. He was obviously fighting sleep, blinking repeatedly and drinking from his bottle of water.

Gavin was also still with them and even though he was also exhausted, he looked better than Michael in that moment. The both of them were slouching against each other and Jeremy hated to break them out of it.

"I don't have Jack's number," he explained and Gavin was already looking around the back seat before throwing his phone to the front.

Finding Jack in his contacts was easy enough because there were barely any in his list. Thinking about it, that made sense, but still his thumb hovered over the name because there, not far beneath was another familiar name.

Ray.

"The road, Jeremy," Gavin called from behind and right, driving and all that.

Later. Not right now.

He put Jack on speaker and threw the phone on the empty seat beside him.

"Gav? Is everything alright?"

"It's me," Jeremy told her.

"Jeremy? Did something happen?"

"A shit ton has happened but we're on the way home now. At least Gavin, Michael and I. Geoff said to get going and call you."

Silence, but only for a heartbeat as she worked through that.

"Is Michael awake?" was the first thing she asked, and he answered from the backseat himself.

"Still hanging tight, babe!"

"Well it can't be that bad then," Jack sighed, but what little amusement she had in her voice was already gone. "When are you back here?"

"I don't know... Twenty minutes?"

"I'll prepare everything then. Drive safe but hurry before it really starts."

"Will do." He cut the call with a bad feeling and sped up.

Prepare everything? He wasn't sure what that meant but Jack did and he trusted her. All he had to do was get them all home safely.

It started three minutes later. Jeremy heard the clattering and of course, it had to be the car breaking down. It would've been too easy otherwise right? Why should their luck turn today?

Then he realized it came from the backseat and looked into the rearview mirror.

It was Gavin's teeth of all things. The other looked pale as a sheet which was impressive considering the dark streaks of ashes in his face, but now it rather looked like he came straight out of a freezer.

"Gavin?" Jeremy asked but the only answer he got was a short whine.

Gavin curled into himself, fingers white and bent like claws as he began to shake violently.

Thankfully Michael was there. He pulled Gavin into his side, a bit more awake than before.

"He's getting cold," he explained as if that would make any sense. "Can I use your jacket?"

"Wha- yeah, of course."

He watched as Michael wrapped the jacket around Gavin as tightly as possible, but it didn't seem to help much. If he looked closely he was nearly sure he could see white fog come out of his mouth each time he breathed, as if it was the deepest winter.

Turning his attention back to the road, he sped up even more.

 

Jack was waiting outside the motel when he parked and he was endlessly glad for it. By then Gavin had curled up into a tight ball, no matter how much Michael tried to hold on to him and was shaking so much, he might as well be having a seizure.

Michael wasn't even much better; he was barely with them anymore and all Jeremy had been able to do was try to get him to talk to him, but he was awake. By God, he was awake.

Jack pulled open the door before Jeremy had turned off the engine and instantly slapped Michael across the face. Jeremy jumped at the noise and Michael also jerked back.

The handprint was red and obvious on his cheek but he began to grin nonetheless.

"Nice to see you too, babe."

"Get out and inside or do I have to kick your ass for that?"

"Might have to."

Jack huffed and helped him get out of the car. By the time she tried to pull on Gavin, Jeremy was with her and helped along.

"I'll take him," he assured her and with a nod she took a tight hold on Michael to guide him inside.

Jeremy followed a little slower, basically dragging Gavin along as he tried not to think how cold the other was. Even through all the layers separating them, he could feel the chill and as he grasped his hand, Gavin's fingers were blue and cold as ice.

"Gav!" Ryan called from inside the house. Jeremy could see him pacing around restlessly, not able to help them yet.

"Bloody idiot," Gavin muttered, quiet enough that only Jeremy was able to hear it. "Better stay inside because I'm not cleaning up that mess."

Jeremy huffed as he dragged him up the stairs and the moment they stepped through, Ryan was there. Without any hesitation he picked Gavin up bridal style and off they went. Where to, Jeremy wasn't sure, but it seemed somewhat coordinated.

They knew what they were doing.

So for the first time since what felt like forever, Jeremy was alone. Behind him the door was still open and he took greedy breaths to get rid of the stale air in his lungs. God, how he wished to just go out and sit in the sun, think about what had happened, but his feet wouldn't move.

What a fucking mess.

In the end he just closed the door and then turned to the dining room, not even because he was hungry, but when he smelled food, his stomach did growl. What little he had for breakfast surely didn't cut it after everything that had happened.

Michael was sitting at the table, a plate of pasta in front of him. He did look like he might just fall asleep and land in it though, but while he was watching, Jack already went past him and pinched his shoulder. Hard.

"I'm awake," Michael snapped at her but either wasn't properly annoyed or didn't have the needed energy, because there was no heat behind his words.

"Keep it like that then and eat," she just said and gesticulated to Jeremy to sit down as well before bringing him a plate too.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Looks like you need it, both of you."

Which was probably true. Putting his gun on the table, he began to eat and felt a little bit more alive afterwards. Jack was sitting next to Michael, putting a coffee beneath his nose and didn't let him out of her eyes.

"What even happened? Did you guys get Noval?"

For a moment Jeremy stared at her before he wanted to laugh.

"You know what? I don't fucking know! Gavin went back in to make sure but he actually didn't say how that went."

"Well he can tell us in a few. He should be better soon," Jack assured him, and that was at least some good news.

"We did burn down a building though," Michael threw in only to follow up with a hearty yawn. "Not all our fault though. You know, explosions and shit."

"Sounds like your stealth attempt didn't quite work out, did it?"

Michael just snorted into his mug and they fell into a comfortable silence.

Jeremy was thumbing at his gun, thinking about the moment when he had shot but before he could dwell on it, he patted his pockets. His phone wasn't there, which made sense. They had all left theirs in the car before going into that building.

"Be right back," he mumbled as he made his way outside. Also he hadn't locked the car and Geoff's keys were still in the ignition. Hard to believe that anyone out here would steal a car, but that would just fit this fucking day.

Sure enough, he found his phone and was just about to head back inside when he noticed Gavin's phone. It laid forgotten on the passenger seat and he took it without much thought, only planning to give it back.

He was nearly back inside when he remembered the phone number that was hidden inside.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some familiar faces in this chapter...


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What happened to Ray?"

Chapter 7

 

It was an hour later before Jeremy could hear footsteps coming from above. There was still no sign from Geoff, and after sitting down and having a bite to eat, he felt ready to drift off. The sun was still bright but it already felt like it had been a long, long day.

How Michael kept still awake was a miracle in itself. He looked the definition of being dead on one's feet, and if it wasn't for Jack's constant nagging, he would be long gone. They had moved to the living room but the monotone noises coming from the TV did little to keep them awake. It was a losing battle anyway.

When Gavin did step into the room at least he looked content enough. Wrapped in a too big hoodie that probably belonged to Ryan, he had some color back in his face. His hair was still a bit wet and was standing in every direction, but he didn't seem to care as he dropped onto the couch.

"Nothing a bath can't fix," he said at their worried faces, which was a nice enough try, but the cuts and blossoming bruises were obvious, even though he tried to hide them.

Coldness. After all that fire, Gavin's body reacted to it by shutting down and getting uncontrollably cold. His very own form of allergic reaction to his gift.

Jack had told him that they wasn't sure if it wouldn't straight up kill him if they didn't interfere and every time Jeremy thought back to the fog of breath coming from Gavin, he didn’t doubt it.

"Still holding on, boi?"

"Sure," Michael slurred, barely awake anymore, and they all knew he wouldn't be able to stay awake if Geoff didn't turn around the corner right about now.

Gavin's smile fell a little, but he turned around when Ryan stepped inside and let himself fall on the sofa behind him.

"Keep warm," he reminded him and promptly threw a thick blanket over him.

Rolling his eyes, Gavin threw them a can-you-believe-this-guy-look but happily wrapped himself in the blanket. For a moment Jeremy could see the fluffiest pink socks on his feet he had ever seen.

"When do you guys think Geoff will come back?" Jeremy asked into the silence and couldn't help a worried glance towards Michael. The other didn't even notice.

"It will be a few hours," Gavin responded. He sounded bitter enough about it. "Pandora wanted us to stay there longer until they were sure about Noval. He'll be in a ton of trouble for sending us off." His eyes traveled to Jeremy. "Maybe you as well, but I'm sure Geoff will cover you."

He didn't want to think about this right now, the guilt that thought brought, because Jeremy had known, right? He had known that they were supposed to stay.

"So you didn't find Noval in the building?"

"I did find a body. Couldn't be sure if it was Noval because I didn't see the bloke before, did I? Also you know... it was kinda burned up and shit. Nearly puked right next to it." Gavin shivered and Ryan laid an easy arm around his shoulder. "They also didn't really believe me. That lady figured I was just telling them that to get out of there and expected me to bring the body out. Which was basically impossible because the whole building was collapsing in itself, but that wasn't their problem, was it?"

Jeremy felt a sudden flare of anger, not even only against the woman but against Pandora itself. He could see the same emotion in Ryan's face. Hadn't Michael said that he had been working for Pandora before even going through the portal?

"The mission was too dangerous in the first place. I'm just glad that you're all back in one piece," Ryan said now, and Jeremy was a bit surprised how easily he was included right there. It was a nice feeling.

Gavin burrowed deeper into Ryan but his expression stayed dark.

"Geoff told Miss Reese he would have a word with me when she wanted me to go back inside and lead me away. Jeremy brought us home before she noticed but Geoff will be in a ton of trouble."

For a moment they all fell silent, not sure what to say to that.

_ "Can I trust you?", _ Geoff had asked, and at that moment Jeremy hadn't even grasped the real meaning of it.

He should have asked, should have demanded answers or turned to Pandora for instructions. Geoff wasn't really his superior, there was no reason to listen to him in the first place, but Jeremy still had. In that moment he had seen it in Geoff's eyes, an urge to protect, and Jeremy had agreed with him, right?

The state of both Gavin and Michael were still clear in his mind and neither of them had been ready to go back inside of there.

"He knew the risk," he found himself saying, and Gavin's eyes darted to him. He was watching him, trying to figure him out probably. After all he had been back there, had heard Geoff's question and his answer.

"Geoff is a good person and Pandora hates that. Pandora hates the power he has," Gavin finally said. "I don't want to be the reason this team loses him."

Jeremy's heart sank. Hogan had said something like that as well, that Pandora was already keeping a close eye on Geoff.

"They think Geoff helped Ray run away," he blurted out, and was a bit shocked by that. Of course all of them had probably figured that out by now, but that still didn't mean he could just say it!

The mood in the room had shifted, like it always did when that name was mentioned.

Gavin's eyes had the familiar sharpness to them again and over his shoulder Ryan was watching him nearly coldly. He didn't even know what Jack did behind his back, because suddenly he was reminded that they were all demons and so much more dangerous than him.

The fear of that was dull because deep inside he knew that nothing would happen to him here, he knew them well enough by now, but instincts were something entirely different.

Still, he wasn't going to let that just go. With Geoff's stunt today maybe Pandora wouldn't wait for any evidence anymore.

"What happened to Ray?" he asked and a similar silence as before fell over them.

For a moment he wanted to assure them that they could trust him, that Geoff had done so as well but he didn't. Mostly because he seriously wasn't sure what he would do in case they told him what he wanted to know.

There was still Plan B though. Gavin's phone was in the pocket of his jacket out in the foyer. If Gavin would ask for it, Jeremy would be able to give it to him and claim he had simply forgotten about it. If he wouldn’t ask, Jeremy would take the jacket with him and then see for himself.

"Fuck!" Jack spat, and the one word cut easily through the heavy atmosphere. Jeremy turned around and his eyes instantly fell onto Michael.

Michael with his chin on his chest as he took deep, calm breaths.

"Michael!" Jack called sharply and shook him but it was halfheartedly. They could all see that he was fast asleep. He did look comfortable enough and certainly not dead, but Jeremy still felt cold as he watched him. Geoff had asked him to keep him awake for as long as possible, but neither of them had paid attention to him while they talked and now-

"What... what does that mean?" he asked and was surprised by how quiet his voice sounded.

"Now he's asleep," Ryan said pretty uselessly and got up. He took another blanket and threw it over Michael. "It was only a question of time before it happened with how exhausted he was."

"But he will wake up again, right?"

"When he's ready," Jack responded and wiped some curls out of Michael's face. "Geoff will probably return before that. He should be able to get him to wake up."

Should? They weren't even sure?

Now he felt sick because it hadn't been so damn hard to keep someone awake, right? After everything that happened today it should've been one of the easiest things.Still here they were now with Michael in a deep slumber he wouldn't wake up from for now.

"All of you should get some rest anyway," Ryan said, and even though it was clearly meant for Gavin, Jeremy could feel the exhaustion right around the corner. It would crash over him sooner rather than later and still he threw a nearly helpless glance towards Jack.

"It's alright," she told him and laid her hand on his. "It's been a long day. I'll stay with Michael, so don't you worry."

 

When Jeremy woke up it was dark out of his window. His body ached all over and if he figured he was thirsty before, he really didn‘t know what thirsty meant. There was a nasty headache behind his eyes and for a while he just laid in the darkness and tried to tell his body to shut up. It was already really late by the looks of it and he should just go back to sleep, but like this it was impossible.

His hand searched for his phone and nearly knocked it off of his bed before he got a grip on it. Blinking against the bright screen, he saw that it was only after 9 pm; it was just that he had gone way earlier to bed than usual. He stared at the screen for a while longer until it went out again to figure out what was wrong with the picture.

That wasn‘t his lockscreen. This wasn‘t his phone in the first place.

It was Gavin‘s.

All the things that had happened today hit him then and he threw an arm over his eyes to sort through them. The fire and heat around, the smoke down his lungs, and the sound of explosions making his ears pop. He could still hear a white noise in his ears now that everything was quiet and he paid attention to it.

Michael who sat in the armchair, deep asleep. Fuck, had Geoff already returned?

He hadn‘t heard a thing, after taking a much needed shower he had passed right the fuck out. Now he groaned as he sat up and everything in him protested against it. Switching the lamp on his bedside table on, his eyes traveled back to the phone next to him.

Ray‘s number was saved in there, so what was he going to do about it? He had told himself that he would decide on that later, but he really had to make up his mind.

Gavin would notice that his phone was gone when he woke up and it was nearly out of battery now that he took a closer look again. So he better made a decision.

So, how reasonable was it to believe that this was actually Ray‘s number? Maybe Gavin did know another Ray, but that was a laughable thought. There hadn‘t been many contacts when Jeremy had scrolled through them and it was clear that neither of the demons had any contacts outside of Pandora.

So yeah, that was clearly Ray‘s number.

Maybe an old one? He wasn‘t sure if Gavin was the type to just let a contact rot in his list like that or if he kept it organized, but surely Pandora had taken a look at it. Jeremy wasn‘t the first who investigated the disappearance after all, so surely they checked on their phones.

What if Gavin put it in later then?

If they helped Ray flee from Pandora would they still keep in contact with him?

Yeah, he believed so. At least Jack and Geoff - what about Gavin?

Jeremy remembered the short moment on the stairs when they had seen those three kids beneath them. How Gavin had only called out Ray, had recognized him immediately, and there were other instances as well. He had seen how protective Gavin could get about Ray, how he closed off. Just a few hours ago when Jeremy had dared to ask them what had happened with Ray...

He had been an intruder again that was looking for one of them.

Yeah, Gavin might keep in contact.

So Jeremy unlocked the phone and went back to the contact list. Ray‘s name was still there, innocent between a couple others.

What made Jeremy hesitate to call the number was the memory of Gavin‘s room. The high tech computer and how easily he had used it.

It took no genius to check who had been last called and it was probably still possible if Jeremy went back to erase the data. Gavin might just find it out, and Jeremy didn‘t want that.

Pondering over it some more, he finally got up and searched for his own phone. He saved the number under ‘Jim’ and put it back down.

Some more time to think about what he should do, that was all he needed.

Next step was giving Gavin his phone back without him becoming suspicious, but that shouldn‘t be too hard. The other was surely asleep now, so Jeremy took his jacket and headed downstairs.

It was quiet in the motel, but he still did his best to make no unnecessary noises as he walked down the stairs. Sure enough there was light coming from the small kitchen area and he could hear muffled voices, but nobody came checking for him.

So he hung up his jacket and slipped the phone into his pocket. By morning it would most likely be dead and Gavin shouldn‘t be able to find anything suspicious on it.

So far so good.

With that out of the way, he relaxed and listened to his body again. Right, aching everywhere and also still fucking thirsty.

He eyed the kitchen but then just opened the door anyway. If that was a secret meeting it shouldn‘t be done in the kitchen, alright?

The first thing he noticed was smoke and he pulled a face. It wasn‘t a fire of course but rather Geoff and Jack who sat at the table, both with a cigarette in their hands.

„You‘re back!“ Jeremy called out, and Geoff just nodded at him. He looked tired but too wound up to calm down.

„Close the door, please. Don‘t want the smell everywhere,“ Jack asked of him, and Jeremy quickly complied.

„She also doesn‘t want the kids to find out that we‘re doing grown up stuff. And not even the fun things,“ Geoff added, and Jack just rolled her eyes.

With a smile Jeremy turned to get a glass of water and leaned against the counter. This obviously was a secret meeting but not the kind he had expected.

"Did you already check on Michael?"

"First thing I did of course," Geoff assured him and took another deep drag from his cigarette. "Poor kid is fine now but asleep. Normal sleep though, he needs it."

Jeremy felt a weight lift from his shoulder. "That's good though, right? It wasn't such a deep sleep then?"

Jack and Geoff threw each other a glance and alright, that wasn't so good then.

"Took us a while to wake him up again. He was pretty out of it," Jack finally said but at least tried herself on a smile. "He did wake up though. That's what counts."

Jeremy felt himself deflate. God, this day just wouldn't end.

"I'm sorry... I should've kept a closer eye on him and he wouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place."

"We were all with him when it happened," Jack told him right away. "It's very hard to keep someone awake who's that exhausted. Also we're working against his demon."

"It turned out fine," Geoff chimed in. "It's okay, Jeremy. Really."

So he let it go. Not because he thought it was okay, but because he was tired. Only that it wasn't the only thing they had to address.

Maybe Geoff could already tell where he was going because he offered him his cigarettes. "Do you smoke?"

"No, I'm more the drinking type guy."

"Top shelf to your right then. Pick your poison."

Jeremy hesitated and took a glance at his glass of water. Well, fuck it. He downed it and then turned to grab some whiskey. Filling his glass, he sat down at the table with them. It didn't feel like he was intruding anything right now and later he would be surprised about that. Right now he didn't even think about it.

"How did Pandora take it?"

"As well as you'd expect them to," Geoff said an leaned back in his seat. "I'm surprised I made it home at all today. They could've just stopped me right there and have this resolved tomorrow or something. Thankfully they still need Michael so I was able to go, but this is far from over."

Taking a deep drag from her cigarette, Jack carefully touched Geoff's hand. "You did the right thing."

"I know that and I would do it again, but Pandora isn't stupid. They will take it out on all of you guys somehow." Geoff quickly threw a glance to Jeremy. "I told them that you didn't know what was going on and just acted on my orders. It was kinda true anyway."

"You didn't have to."

"I did."

Jeremy lowered his gaze as he nursed his glass. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. We're in enough shit as it is." Sighing, Geoff rubbed his face. "We aren't even sure if that body is Noval. Well, Pandora isn't, I'm pretty convinced that it is Noval. Fuck, he never left the building and there was no trace of another person in there, so of course it's him! But that motherfucker was burned to a crisp. Don't know what his plan was there, but hey, we kinda put him in a corner, maybe he was desperate."

"Hardly matters now," Jack told him, and Geoff nodded.

They sat in silence for a while, everyone thinking their own thoughts. Jeremy finished his whiskey and felt how it settled warmly in his stomach. If he hadn't been tired before, he was now, and he knew that the moment his head hit the pillow he would be gone.

That actually did seem like a great idea, and after a while he got up to rinse out his glass. He was on his way to say goodnight when Geoff stopped him.

"Pandora will send some people tomorrow. Just as a warning."

"Why?"

"To check things out. I don't know if they want to have a word with you or not."

Probably. He wondered if Hogan would be one of them, but somehow he didn't even doubt it.

"Thanks Geoff. Good night."

"Good night, Jeremy."

 

* * *

 

He woke in the early morning hours by someone knocking on his door. Surprisingly he didn't feel super tired after yesterday, which was probably thanks to his impromptu nap before. His body did however protest when he sat up and he couldn't stop the groan coming from his mouth.

He was getting too old for this shit.

Another knock and he was on his feet. He opened the door to see Gavin standing in front of him, looking like he was still half asleep.

"Phone," he just yawned and held his hand up.

Right. Jeremy blinked at him for a moment before he rubbed his face.

"Did you check in the car?"

"Do I look like I checked in the car?" He didn't. He looked like he just rolled out of the bed and straight in front of his door. Gavin's shirt was wrinkled and way too big, his hair a right mess. Like this it was easy to see his collar and Jeremy tried not to outright stare.

"Maybe I put your phone in my jacket," Jeremy told him and already wanted to walk into the hallway when Gavin frowned.

"Didn't I have your jacket on because I was so cold?"

His mouth went very, very dry at that. Michael had pulled the jacket around him to keep him warm.

"I did get it out of the car yesterday though. I think I put the phone in the pocket," he said quickly and it wasn't even half a lie. Unfortunately that didn't mean that Gavin believed him.

"Well, let's get it then."

They walked down towards the entrance, Gavin ahead and Jeremy was desperately trying to think of something to talk about. His eyes wandered over Gavin's back and found dark lines that sneaked out from his sleeve. A tattoo? Now that he thought about it, he had seen similar lines yesterday on his shoulder and back right? It had to be a pretty big tattoo then and he hadn't really taken Gavin for the tattoo type.

When Gavin stopped he nearly walked into him. They had reached the bottom of the stairs and Jeremy pulled his jacket towards him. He made a big show of searching through the wrong pocket first before 'finding' it and handing it over.

"Thanks," Gavin mumbled, but his eyes were trained on the screen. It actually lit up and Jeremy was a bit surprised that it had held on so long.

Gavin typed on it, and even though Jeremy couldn't see what he was doing exactly, it took no genius to figure out he was looking for something out of place.

Thank God he hadn't called that number yesterday.

That way Gavin came up with nothing and gave a little grunt before slipping the phone into his own pocket.

He was already on the way back upstairs when Jeremy called after him, "I didn't know you liked tattoos!"

Gavin hesitated for a moment before going on.

"I don't."

 

* * *

 

Pandora waltzed in around 9 am which at least gave him enough time to shower and have a much needed breakfast. Hogan actually was among the four people who came in, but besides a small nod Jeremy wasn't really addressed.

They all just locked themselves away in Geoff's office and that was that.

Even though they couldn't hear what was spoken, besides actively eavesdropping, they could all feel it in the air. Conversations were few and short while all they could do was wait.

Michael had joined him eventually, and besides the dark rings beneath his eyes he looked way better than yesterday, way more alive. He was also eating whatever he could get his hands on, but Jeremy found that pretty fair.

The hours ticked by and he didn't know what to do with himself. He could go outside because the sun was shining and it could as well be one of the last nice days this year had to offer, but he was pretty sure he was needed for something later. Hogan wouldn't just disappear without having a word with him about yesterday.

And sure enough around noon he could hear the door to Geoff's office open. He was sitting in the living room with Ryan, but neither of them paid attention to the TV. Both of them looked up, waiting for what was to come.

It was Hogan who looked into the room nearly a bit self conscious.

"Jeremy? Can I talk to you for a second?"

Not his last name, so maybe he wasn't in too much trouble.

"Of course." He followed Hogan out of the house because no one could follow them here, right? Only Jack and Geoff, but neither of them would.

When they were far enough away, Hogan turned around to him. The weirdest thing about this whole situation was seeing him outside of his office. It didn't suit him.

"Ramsey told us that he sent you away," Hogan began right away and Jeremy tried to steal himself. "Of course you know that you don't have to listen to his orders, but he was the one in charge of the mission until Miss Reese joined, so I told Pandora to let it go."

He paused for a second, obviously waiting for some sort of reply.

"Both Michael and Gavin didn't appeared fit to continue the mission, so it was reasonable to bring them somewhere safe when their condition worsened," he explained, and Hogan looked pleased enough.

"I told you that Ramsey is too full of himself, but he will get what he deserves." An ugly little smile appeared on Hogan's face. Like a disgustingly fat bug.

Jeremy would have gladly told him what he thought about his opinion, but he held his tongue.

Geoff had been generous enough to cover him and he wouldn't let that go to waste. 

"Anyway," Hogan went on, and thankfully that smile disappeared. "Do you have any news for me?"

Ray's number. It was safely in his phone and even though he had hovered over 'Jim' a couple times already, he hadn't acted on it.

Even now...

"No, sorry," he said but couldn't look Hogan in the eyes. If he did the other might see straight through his lies. "Everyone's been so busy with Noval that I didn't get a chance to look into anything."

Hogan nodded, but he wasn't as understanding as before.

"I see."

And that was that. They headed back towards the motel and Jeremy tried himself on some small talk. He wasn't very good at it and it turned kinda awkward because Hogan wasn't either, but thankfully a few minutes later the door to Geoff's office finally opened.

Geoff himself looked like he had aged five years in there and was barely holding back an angry scream.

The faceless men and women from Pandora walked past Jeremy without a word and left straight through the door. Only Hogan gave some sort of wave that was clearly only directed at him.

With the door falling shut Jeremy had hoped that the tension in the house would finally break, but that wasn't the case.

Geoff only moved when they heard the car drive off and went straight into the living room. He let himself fall onto the couch, barely missing Ryan's lap while he stared up at the ceiling.

The other man threw him a sympathetic look before handing him a pillow that Geoff promptly pressed into his face to scream into. Even though it was muffled, Jeremy had to jump in shock as Geoff also kicked his legs, kinda like a kid throwing a tantrum.

It was weird seeing him like that, but that didn't stop him from smiling slightly. Ryan did so as well and patted the pillow a little when Geoff stopped yelling. He still let it lay on his face though, probably debating if he had to scream again. Or just so that nobody talked to him yet.

They gave him the time he needed and when Geoff finally threw the pillow from his face they also waited patiently.

"What did Hogan want from you Jeremy?" he asked first and Jeremy tensed again. For a moment he wanted to lie, but that wouldn't be right. He was already torn enough between the two sides here, no use making it worse.

"He asked if I found out anything about Ray's disappearance."

Geoff nodded but didn't pry on that.

"What about yesterday? You get into any trouble?"

"No, they did believe what you told them. Thank you for that again, you didn't have to."

Lazily Geoff waved him off and Jeremy decided to let that topic drop once and for all.

"Pandora will come back tomorrow," Geoff went on and both him and Ryan stiffened. "They'll bring a new demon that searched for help."

"Fucking christ," Ryan mumbled and confused Jeremy looked from one to the other.

"I don't understand..?"

Sighing, Geoff sat up and let his head fall into his hands. "Sometimes people get sent into the Nether not on their own accord. If it's parents or some strange religion or some way to get rid of people. There are too many portals out there that we have no control over or simply don't know about. Shit like that happens all over the world and most people are never heard from again."

"But some make it out with demons?"

"Exactly. A few turn to Pandora for help and then they decide what to do with them depending on their gifts. Too dangerous? If you're lucky, you'll get just locked away. If your gift is useful enough, you'll get to work for Pandora. If it's none of the above or the gift just too weak, well... Pandora offers a different kind of help for them."

He grew quiet and not even Ryan continued. No, both of them were unusually pale and Jeremy began to get a really, really bad feeling here.

"Do I... even want to know?"

"No, you don't," Geoff assured him and got up from the couch. "You have a choice here; you can just spend the day somewhere else tomorrow. It might be for the best but I can't tell you what to do. It probably won't be long, but I don't know when they're planning to arrive here. Anyway, I gotta prepare for tomorrow."

 

* * *

Jeremy woke to screaming. Sitting up straight in his bed, he stared at the door. It was still relatively early but that noise would've woken the dead. It was a man, even though they sounded rather young, and Jeremy didn't recognize him.

Slipping out of his bed, he grabbed his gun from the bedside table and made for the door. When he opened it Michael stood right in front of him and immediately shoved him back inside.

"What's happening?" Jeremy asked, and Michael just pulled a face.

"Shit, I was hoping you wouldn't be able to hear it here." Looking around, he let himself drop on the only chair in the room and slipped down until he nearly landed on the floor.

Even after two days the exhaustion was still clear in his face, but it was nothing compared to his face during the ride back. Seeing him awake was always reassuring in itself, but this time it just wouldn't do the trick. Probably because another scream rose from somewhere outside his room and that was certainly more concerning.

"Shouldn't we..?" He gestured a bit helplessly towards the door, and Michael sighed before pointing to the bed Jeremy had so rudely been awaken from.

"You can try but it won't help a bit," he just said while Jeremy sat down. "They locked the door good and have a guard standing outside. Nasty lady with one of the coldest eyes I've ever seen."

He shook himself and slowly the conversation from yesterday came back to Jeremy's mind.

"Is this Pandora? Geoff mentioned they would come by today."

"Yeah, and early enough to ruin everyone's day. Jack is lucky enough to go for a walk and Gavin is probably supplying himself and Ryan with noise cancelling headphones. Lucky them." 

"What the fuck is happening?"

"What did Geoff tell you about this yesterday?"

"That Pandora would bring in a demon that had turned to them for help."

"Well then that's their version of help," Michael told him before sitting up straight. He got more serious and Jeremy was a bit relieved that the other had just acted so calm.

"Do you like horror movies, Jeremy?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Not as much anymore after he had met the first demon, but Michael didn't have to know about that.

"Well then you surely encountered some exorcist movies once in a while, right?"

"Of cou-" He fell silent and Michael gave him the time he needed. Hadn't Gavin said something along those lines before? Cleanser or something like that?

God, now that he remembered the screams, they did sound like in those movies.

"Does that even work?" he asked slowly, and Michael shrugged.

"Depends on some factors. Mostly how long the contract has been active, because it becomes stronger with time. Also the mental and physical condition of the person and the power of the cleanser. It has worked before, but not to a degree that Pandora would consider an success."

"Why here then? To show you guys your place?" Jeremy couldn't help but get angry at that thought. This was obviously punishment for their Noval mission.

"To some degree of course. Reminds us how easy it would be to exorcise us, even though I can tell you how that would end up. We’ve been bound for too long with our demons, so there's no way to separate us anymore." Michael told him but couldn't quite meet his eyes. The screams had stopped but a form of low rattle had replaced it. Maybe that was even worse than before.

"It's mostly a punishment for Geoff though. Do you know what a Cleanser is?"

"The exorcist in this case, right?"

"Geoff is one of the few Cleansers we know of," Michael told him. "As far as I know he worked for Pandora beforehand but was one of the volunteers. He went into the Nether and came back out but without contracting a demon. Pandora knows about only two other cases like that. For now it's the only way we know of to create a Cleanser."

"He could resist the demons before, so now he can tell them to fuck off?"

"Basically, yeah." Michael laughed quietly. "Haven't you noticed? Geoff is the one taking care of demons because his touch can freeze their gift. Like that teleporter girl? He took her back to Pandora, right? Didn't you ask yourself why she didn't just disappear again?"

"I figured because of the pain. I did shoot her after all."

Michael thought about that for a moment before he nodded.

"Okay, that's fair enough. Then my little sleeping problem. It's Triella's influence, and Geoff can wake me up with his powers. Not as easy as before, but it's still working."

A shadow crossed Michael's face and seriousness creeped into his voice that wouldn't fit.

"It's still working..."

Jeremy watched him for a while and felt the same heaviness on his shoulder. What would be Michael's end? Would he go feral and taken out by Pandora or would he die on a mission? Maybe he'd simply fall into such a deep sleep that he wouldn't wake up from it.

Whatever it would be, he wouldn't live a long life.

"Anyway, that's the reason why they're doing this here," Michael said quickly to lighten the mood. As if such a topic could do that. "Geoff has to go through it and we're here to be witnesses. Joy all around."

"That's barbaric."

"It's what's working," Michael said and began to spin slowly in the chair. "By the way, just leave Geoff alone after Pandora is gone, okay? Most of all if it doesn't work and the boy down there dies."

"They are making Geoff risk killing someone," Jeremy spat. There was such a rage burning in his chest that he wanted to break something but he stopped himself. Instead he just grasped the blanket really tightly.

"This isn't right!"

"Of course not. We can just hope the boy survives and can go back to his family."

That wasn't enough. That was far from being enough, and Jeremy was ready to just get up and storm out there. The only thing holding him back was Michael. Not even physically, just his presence.

Michael had tried to get away from this whole situation but wasn't really able to, being trapped in this house. The only thing he could do was search for company to take his mind off of things and he had come to Jeremy. Granted, he hadn't been the first choice, but that didn't matter.

So Jeremy took a deep breath and forced himself to sit still. Storming in that room wouldn't help their case at all; he would probably just make things worse. Even knowing that didn't make it much easier.

"You wanna listen to music or something?" he grunted between clenched teeth. It sickened him and thinking about it could made bile rise in his throat.

But Michael relaxed a little, and even though it was wrong, even though it was just to drown out screams and his very being told him to help this person-

"Sure, what do you got?"

 

* * *

 

It didn't take long, just like Geoff had said, but that didn't mean that it didn't cast its shadow over the rest of the day. It remained quiet in the motel after Pandora was gone and nobody dared to break the silence.

Michael, Jack and, he sat in the living room, watching a movie about whatever. Gavin and Ryan were upstairs in the winter garden or something and Geoff was in the sitting room Jeremy had discovered before. Nobody bothered to disturb him.

Less than an hour after waking up, Jack had informed them that it was over. She brought coldness from outside with her and even though her cheeks were ruddy from the early morning breeze, she looked sick and pale.

The exorcism had been a success and the boy had survived. When Jeremy walked downstairs, he had caught a glimpse on him. Not yet in his twenties, and drenched in sweat. He had appeared unconscious and was carried by Pandora's men, but he had been breathing.

There was a ring of black lines moving up his left arm and seeing that had jogged a memory in Jeremy's head.

They looked like the lines on the face of the teleporter girl. The mark that Yevetal was giving its children before throwing them in the Nether, and by the age of the boy it was possible he was from there.

Had he also appeared out of a different portal than he had entered or had he been able to run away from that place? Jeremy wished he could ask him about his story, but on the other hand he was a bit happy not knowing. Sometimes that was better.

Whatever happened to the kid and no matter how exhausted and weak he appeared, now he was hopefully able to live a normal life. Away from those portals and demons and that strange religion.

Somewhere he could decide on his own.

Maybe.

Neither Michael or Jack knew what would happen to the boy and Jeremy let the topic go. Today he didn't want to think about it anymore.

Unfortunately, while mindlessly watching the movie unfold its foreseeable plot in front of his eyes another detail came to his mind. Like connecting the dots.

He had seen similar black lines on Gavin, right? On his shoulder and down his arm. It could be a tattoo of course, but Gavin had said he wasn't fond of those. Probably because he didn't have a choice in getting this one.

An invitation for a demon before he was ripped from everything he knew and thrown into hell. Did he flee Yevetal or appeared somewhere else? Somehow Jeremy started to believe it was the first.

It would fit with all those books he had, the reports of demons and their names and his knowledge about the marks on people.

It fit too well.

Or maybe it was just a tattoo.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (My cat Lotti just ran over my keyboard so in case you notice any super weird typos it's not my usual clumsiness. Blame Lady Lotti pls)
> 
> We're nearly done, guys!!!  
> We're so close actually that next week you can already read the final on my Patreon - hinthint


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't want to be in their head when they die."

Chapter 8

 

Jeremy hadn't seen Geoff since the exorcism incident, and when he ran into him two days later, he didn't know what to do. The other had obviously taken the time to just be by himself, locked away in his room, his office, or the sitting room, and Jeremy had only seen Jack enter there.

Now as he stood in the kitchen and Geoff just walked in, he froze right where he stood. It wasn't like it was an unusual sight, but Geoff looked exhausted.

Of course, using his gift or... not-gift had to take its toll; Jeremy hadn't even thought about it. As if the mental scars weren't bad enough.

"How are you?" Geoff asked him of all things, and Jeremy just shrugged.

"Um, fine. What about you?"

"Running on a bit too little sleep but otherwise getting better."

He smelled like smoke when he passed Jeremy to reach the fridge, so he had smoked again. A bad sign, but understandable.

"The boy lived," Jeremy burst out as if Geoff didn't know that. But it was meant to reassure him.

"Phillip," Geoff mumbled and closed the fridge with a can of diet coke in his hand. "That's his name, but yeah, he did. He hadn't contracted his demon for long and he was young and strong, basically the best case scenario. Still, thank God."

Jeremy nodded in silence. Why had he brought that up? Surely Geoff wanted to put it behind him and not be reminded of the whole thing. Now he didn't even know what to reply and they stood there, awkwardly.

"To cleanse someone, that's how Pandora calls it, a connection is made between me, him and his demon," Geoff went on slowly. "I didn't get the chance to talk to Phillip before, which would maybe make it easier, but I'm not sure if that's even true. Sometimes it's better not to know too much because you find out more than enough while cleansing anyway. It's like looking into his mind or something. Maybe the mind of the demon if demons have something like that. In that regard I know as much about that as you." Sighing, he rubbed his face. "I can see like pictures and shit and I hate it. I don't want to know how his parents looked like because they fucking found it alright to throw their son through the portal. Or seeing memories of the Nether again! As if I could forget that fucking place!"

He hesitated, then added in nothing more than a whisper, "I don't want to be in their head when they die."

Jeremy just stared at him helplessly, but Geoff didn't seem to notice him. It was just something he needed to get off of his chest, but Jeremy didn't know how to react to it. Some of it he didn't even want to know, but here he was now and kinda just wanted to shake apart. It wasn't the right time for that though, because Geoff needed reassurance and even though Jeremy wasn't very good at it, he had to at least try.

"You didn't want to do it."

"Does that matter?"

"I think it does," Jeremy told him honestly. "And I don't know shit about demons and stuff but if you say there was some kind of connection between you three, then maybe Phillip also knows that you didn't want to do it."

Geoff stayed quiet but stared at his coke intently as he thought about it.

"Also he survived," he added quickly. "For the first time since he was born he is freed of this fucking Nether bullshit. He was raised to be thrown into hell and now he finally managed to escape, not only from this fucked up religion but also his family and his demon. That's thanks to you."

After a while Geoff nodded, and the grip around Jeremy's heart let go. He hadn't even noticed how much it meant to him to make Geoff feel better but how could he not? The other looked so down just standing there and he didn't deserve that. Not after he had shown compassion to so many people in the time Jeremy had been here.

"You helped Phillip, and he wasn't the only one, alright? Michael and Gavin during the last mission and Ray as well." Because he had no doubt about that anymore, he was just stating the facts here.

Still, he noticed how Geoff grasped the can a little tighter but he took no offence to it. He was sure they didn't mention Ray not because they didn't trust him, but rather to protect Ray and Jeremy could accept that.

"Thank you, Jeremy," Geoff just said. Neither confirming, nor denying his claim and that was alright.

"We have a new case already."

"This soon?"

"No rest for the wicked," Geoff just said. "The file is on my desk but there isn't much in there to begin with. I'll be at Pandora's for a few days and we will only move after I'm back, but feel free to take a look at it."

"Okay, I will." He wanted to ask what Geoff wanted at Pandora but could imagine what it was. Who said that Geoff was already off the hook by now? No, Pandora was probably going to squeeze him dry for that one. It seemed to be their style.

"Help Jack keep the chaos at bay while I'm gone, will you?"

"I can try but I don't make empty promises," he replied and it was enough to earn him a tired smile.

"That's all I can ask from you."

Geoff patted him on the shoulder and left the kitchen with his diet coke that he still grasped too tightly. Two hours later he drove off towards the city.

 

Without Geoff he had expected things to get a bit quieter in the house, but it was the opposite. Apparently without his presence Michael and Gavin quadrupled their bickering. Jeremy could hear them screaming and squawking downstairs even from his room but he didn't get up to investigate anymore.

Not after the one time he had found Gavin screaming in the living room. Apparently Michael had gotten a scratch at some point during the mission. Nothing big, but now he was sitting on the couch, picking at the scab with a gleeful smirk. Gavin was gagging and begging him to stop but didn't just leave the room for whatever reason.

Jeremy figured they could deal with that on their own until Jack stepped in. Because one word from her was apparently more than enough to at least stop them for a while. Or maybe just to find a different place in the house for that.

Jeremy rather wanted to focus on the work and locked himself in his room with their new case. Stepping into Geoff's office had felt strange, but he had permission, right? And even though that could've been a prime opportunity to find some hints about Ray, it only crossed his mind for a second.

By now he knew that even if he somehow stumbled over some clues about Ray's whereabouts, he wouldn't report it back to Pandora. That had been a difficult decision, or he'd like to pretend it was. He just had to be honest with himself for once, and that was the hard part.

What Pandora did was necessary but that didn't mean he had to agree with the procedures. He had little hope changing them and fighting against it was something he didn't like to think about, but Ray had escaped and for now he wasn’t making any trouble out there.

What would he even be able to do with his gift? He could heal and that was it. It was probably the purest gift you could get!

Jeremy didn't want to be the one who put chains on him again and lock him in here.

It left him with the question of what he was going to do now, and he still hadn't found an answer to that. He could hardly walk up to Hogan and tell him he was out, that he wasn't ready to continue this anymore, because as laid back as Hogan usually was, he wouldn't let that slip. He wanted things done and so expected them to get done.

Also Jeremy had volunteered for this right here and that weighed heavily on his heart. If he hadn't done that he wouldn't be in this situation, but on the other hand he would have never learned so many things about demons and Pandora.

He feared that if he went to Hogan to quit this mission, Pandora wouldn't believe him when he told them that he hadn't found out a thing. And surely Pandora had some tricks up their sleeve to help him remember some details like that new number in his phone.

Maybe they would even think he was on the side of the demons now, a traitor, and would take him as another volunteer. Michael had warned him about that, right?

So the only thing he could hope for now was that he was either called to another, more pressing mission or that this one was deemed a failure and he returned to Pandora.

Both cases would involve him leaving here and getting back in his small apartment. The thought weighted a bit heavier on him than he had expected, and that was a surprise. Sure, he did get along with the others quite well and he liked being around them after the awkwardness in the beginning, but that shouldn't be reason enough. No, it somehow felt like he was needed here more than anywhere else, like this was his place to be, and that was certainly a thing he really didn't want to dwell on for too long.

So all he did was take the file from Geoff's desk and not let his eyes wander. Since his decision he felt light but in some other regards heavier, as if that would make any sense, but he knew finding yet another hint towards Ray wouldn't help at all.

 

An hour later he threw the very same file on the table of the meeting room.

"When Geoff said that it wouldn't be much, I didn’t know what I expected," he admitted while Jack took the file.

Jeremy hoped Geoff wouldn't mind that he had asked both Jack and Ryan to take a look as well because both of them were clearly more experienced than him. But by the way neither of them had been surprised as he asked them, he was pretty sure Geoff had warned them ahead of time.

Now he waited while Jack skimmed through the few pages with Ryan watching over her shoulder. Not that it wouldn't take them long because there was barely anything there. This time they did have a picture of the young man they were looking for, but no information about his gift.

"He came out of the portal down in South America," Jack said slowly.

"Is that rare?"

"Quite the opposite actually. The portal down there is under Pandora's control but it's in the middle of a deep jungle, so it's really hard to make sure nobody gets close to it."

"If you consider becoming a demon and get away with it, you go there," Ryan told him. "The portals distort the area around them, making plants and trees grow at an alarming rate. The wildlife around can also react differently but usually very aggressive. Which is why portals are very hard to find and then difficult to secure. So you can imagine that it’s nearly impossible when it's in the middle of the jungle."

"Makes sense."

"This guy didn't stay down there though," Jack mumbled mostly to herself as she read through the places the demon had been seen. "Making a straight line through the country up north by the looks of it. Seems like he has business there."

"That must be why we got the case now, because if he continues like that he has to pass by in this area," Jeremy said. "What's concerning though is that even though this guy was seen so often already, we know nothing about his gift."

"That is indeed curious. Also I bet that we are not the first team that’s gone after him if they have already tracked him down this well. Obviously the guy hasn’t been caught yet, but the fact that nobody has an idea about his gift is more concerning," Ryan said, frowning at the file. "So probably something that makes it hard to find or follow him? Something like Lindsay's gift maybe?"

"How are we supposed to follow someone invisible?"

"There is a whole department in Pandora that just watches demon activity over cameras," Jack told him and finally handled the file to Ryan. "That's how we find most demons if they get away."

"Like Noval?"

"Exactly. Even though if this guy really turns invisible that won't be much help, but it could be something else."

"If they keep an eye on him isn't it even stranger that we don't know anything about his gift?" Jeremy asked.

"Well not every gift is as visible as Gavin's, take ours for example." Jack pointed from herself to Ryan and Jeremy nodded. Looking at them he wouldn't be able to tell their gift and in Ryan's case not even when he decided to use it.

"Some gifts trick the mind," Ryan went one, thoughtfully. "It could be that whoever saw the gift simply forgot about it right away. Like an amnesia gift."

"That's a fucking scary thought." To imagine that this guy could just touch someone and make them forget everything, make their mind a blank canvas.

"Fucking christ," he mumbled to himself and had to shake himself a little.

"That doesn't mean it has to be true," Jack assured him. "A lot of gifts are hard to figure out just looking at them. It's just unusual that this guy has gotten so far with that."

“Alright.” Leaning back in his seat, Jeremy starred listlessly at the file. He was glad that he wasn’t in charge of a mission like that even though it felt a little like it, simply because Geoff had asked him to take a look at it. But seriously, how were they supposed to work with that?

“If we have so little information Geoff usually goes out himself and checks things out," Jack told him and he appreciated her try to give his thoughts a direction. "Often he takes Michael with him, just in case things get awry. Michael's shields are a big help in case a demon like that gets out of hand."

"Makes sense but..." Jeremy trailed off, not knowing exactly how to word it. That was all good and well, but Michael had been so exhausted from the last mission that Jeremy didn't want to drop him into the next possible dangerous situation. It was still obvious what toll it had taken on him and not only that, Jeremy still remembered the shock when Michael had fallen asleep. The fear that the other would simply dream on forever, discovering more worlds out there but being lost here.

A hand laid on top of his, metallic and cold, and he fought not to flinch.

"I'm sure Geoff will be back tomorrow," she told him. "Pandora wants to finally close this case here. They will make sure that Geoff takes care of it."

 

Jack was right. Jeremy figured he should expect that by now, but when he woke up the next day, Geoff was back. Exhausted and stressed even more so than before, but here.

Gavin clung to his back, hollering over something and even from up the stairs Jeremy could see Geoff's fond smile.

They let him rest for now and Jeremy let himself get roped into playing Mario Kart with Michael and a very annoying Gavin. Due to some ungodly happenings Michael seemed to continue to win no matter what happened, and so Jeremy wasn't too sad when Ryan called for him. No certainly not, he was rather close to kicking the TV in.

"Rookie mistake playing a Mario game with Michael," Ryan told him good naturedly as he lead him towards the sitting room.

"It's not even possible to get so fucking lucky!"

"Don't play Mario Party against him then, that's even worse."

He made a mental note of that before looking around. Truth be told he had kinda expected a meeting with Geoff in here, but nobody else waited for them. Strange, but still preferable and so he let himself drop into an armchair.

"Geoff is still getting some work done, he has a lot to catch up to," Ryan began and sat down as well. "Also Pandora certainly didn't give him much room to breathe so I offered to talk with you."

Jeremy raised his eyebrows but Ryan noticed and quickly calmed him down.

"Nothing serious, not at all! I just told Geoff about our meeting yesterday and he basically agreed with what we talked about."

"Okay?"

"I told him that you were a bit reluctant to take Michael with us," Ryan went on, and Jeremy pulled a face. He still stood by his concerns though.

"He wasn't happy with that?"

"Are you kidding? He is totally on your side!" Ryan laughed, and instantly Jeremy felt a little better. For the past days it had felt like nothing was working out and he was fighting a war he couldn't win, so he hadn't expected something like that.

Granted though, now he felt a bit ridiculous, because of course Geoff wanted to keep Michael safe; it was plain obvious how much he cared for his team.

"Michael shouldn't be back on a mission yet and frankly, Geoff would prefer if him and Jack wouldn't have to use their gifts anymore, but that's not gonna happen," Ryan sighed. "But I offered that I could go with Geoff and check this guy out. If he’s gotten away so many times already, maybe Pandora will allow it."

"That sounds good!"

"No word to Michael though, because he will assure everyone that he’s fine and ready to get back out there."

"Don't need to tell me. It's not like I’ve known him for that long but I'm well aware about how stubborn he can be."

"Good. We don't want him to know about this whole thing until it's too late, so that he's forced to stay here."

"Don't worry. I'll keep my mouth shut," Jeremy assured him before smiling. "But hopefully it’ll work out. I'm sure you're looking forward to being outside again, right?"

He hadn't expected a similar reaction to Gavin who had been so excited before but he could tell by his smile that Ryan was looking forward to it.

"It would be nice, yeah. Also scout out missions like that are usually a bit calmer and we can take our time. Also it's not been as long for me as it had been for Gavin."

"When was the last time you went outside?"

Ryan thought about that for a moment, before huffing amusedly. "Well, how long have you been here now?"

A bit taken aback, Jeremy tried to think about that and count back when it clicked.

"You weren't here when I arrived. Actually, you didn't appear until the evening and brought dinner!"

"You only realized that now? What kind of police officer were you?"

Jeremy waved him off. "It's not something super uncommon to have someone be out and get back with dinner. I didn't know about the cuffs and all that shit yet! I just didn't connect the dots!"

Shaking his head, Ryan explained, "It was one of my free days. Thanks to Pandora exactly on the day you arrived. Not ideal but what can I do about it? Not take it?"

For a second Jeremy wanted to ask why Ryan wouldn't just take his free days at the same time as Gavin, but he realized quickly how naive that would be. As if Pandora would allow two red demons to wander around.

"So you get two free days in a year and you spent them getting food?"

"It's not like that took the whole day, but I gotta admit that I didn't do much." Ryan shrugged. "Everyone was busy with you getting here, so there wasn't much I could do besides hanging around alone. Pretty sad because usually at least Jack and Geoff are free to keep me company."

"Oh shit, I'm sorry dude! Wasn't at least someone from your family around?"

"I'm not very close to them," Ryan just said, and Jeremy didn't press any further. Maybe that was true, or maybe Ryan kept away because of his gift. He wouldn't touch anyone in this house, so why would he take the risk with his own family?

"So that's the first time you and me will go on a mission? I'm excited!" Jeremy said, mostly to change the topic.

"Oh, you want to come along?"

Right, he didn't have to. It was just to scout something out and even if something happened, he technically didn't have to join any mission. Geoff hadn't even asked this time around. Still, now he had kind of offered.

"I mean, I could. I don't have to if I’d bother you guys though."

"I don't mind," Ryan said, and Jeremy felt surprisingly pleased by that.

"It's a deal then!"

 

* * *

 

It was sunny when they headed out this time and Jeremy enjoyed the warmth it brought. Only in the car though, outside the wind was too cold to truly enjoy the sun.

Sitting in the back of the car, he tried his hardest not to look back at the motel. Michael was inside and fuming now that they had found out what they had planned and that he wouldn't be apart of it. Jeremy could still feel him glare at them.

Gavin hadn't been much better, so Jeremy figured Ryan hadn't told him as well, probably in fear that he would tell Michael. What drama.

Now they were on the road and he forgot about all that. Geoff also called them to attention.

"Our suspect was seen at the pier just half an hour ago," he began to explain. "He appeared to be alone, just hanging around."

"A lot of shady business goes on there," Jeremy said. "Drug deals, but you can also buy weapons of all kinds. There are too many dark corners and little hiding spaces so the police have a hard time controlling the area."

"Or he just wanted to enjoy the view," Ryan offered instead, making them all snort.

"This guy has fled through all of America, I don't think he will stop at Los Santos to take a look at the crowded beach and the dirty water beyond it."

"Makes sense."

"Anyway, that was the last known location of the guy but they lost sight of him soon after, like always," Geoff went on. "So we'll take a look around and maybe spot him. Jeremy, you know some of those shady places at the pier, right? We could hang around there and see if we catch a glimpse, maybe figure out what his gift is."

 

It was cold by the pier, that was the first thing Jeremy noticed as Geoff parked the car. The wind coming from the ocean was icy and numbed his fingers. Fuck, he should've brought gloves.

Geoff walked up to him.

"I figured we should walk down the pier first," he said while jamming his hands under his arms. "See if he's there somewhere, who knows maybe getting coffee or something. Thinking about it, I also could use a coffee. Then we can check on the more shady places."

"Sounds fine to me, mostly because of the coffee." He turned around, wanting to call for Ryan but held himself back then. Ryan had walked up towards a low wall from where he had a better view over the beach. Today it wasn't overcrowded there and the water reflected the sun just right so that it didn't look too dirty. Like this it was a nice enough place, and after being trapped it had to be even greater.

Getting out for only two days a year was far from being enough and even if Ryan spent every day right here, the ocean never got old. The sheer size of it and the unbelievable amount of water was just hard to forget. He wondered how it would look like somewhere else, where the water wasn't as polluted and the beach not shaped for humans.

Jeremy had never left America, never traveled around much thanks to his job, and for a moment he regretted it. Maybe after this mission it was about time. On the other hand, who was he to complain? At least he could leave the country, even his house without having to check in with Pandora.

So they waited patiently while Ryan took a handful of pictures with his phone, probably to send home to Gavin, before he turned back towards them, looking a bit sheepish.

"Sorry."

"First stop a coffee shop?" Geoff just asked, and Ryan groaned.

"Oh my God, please. Do you know how sick I am of the coffee at home? No offence but we really need some new flavors or something."

"Are you kidding me? The coffee at home is the best!"

Jeremy let them bicker as they walked down the pier. There weren't many people around, not with such a cold wind but here and there he could see a couple walking. None of them was the guy they were looking for, but he was still sure he would be somewhere more shady and not in the middle of such a public space. After all, he had gotten away until now.

Or he could turn invisible like Lindsay, also a possibility.

They got their coffee and he enjoyed just holding his cup for now to warm his fingers. Both Geoff and Ryan were greedily drinking their own coffee, probably in hopes of having a refill on their way back down the pier.

They were nearly at the end of the pier when Geoff nodded towards the right. There between a closed shop and a restaurant was a small alleyway. It was too dark to see anything clearly but it probably lead to a staircase beneath the pier. Those were usually for maintenance but when it wasn‘t needed all kinds of shady people hung around there. It was a good spot to stay hidden and disappear into the crowd if needed.

Only that today there wasn‘t a crowd and the man coming from there stood out like a sore thumb to a mindful watcher.

Jeremy quickly lowered his eyes when the man looked around.

„Is that our guy?“ Geoff asked nonchalantly and finished his coffee.

„He could be.“

It was hard to tell, they were still a bit away, but keeping their pace they would run into him in a few.

Jeremy stopped when they reached the restaurant and pointed towards the displayed menu. That way the man had to pass them by and they could take a closer look then.

Ryan also leaned forward to study the menu closer and the first thing Jeremy noticed was the TV. It hung above the bar of the restaurant and he could see it through the windows as some sport event played. Something was distorting the picture, he could see how some guests noticed as well and then there was a beep.

At first he didn‘t think much of it, in all honesty it sounded like a phone but next to him Ryan stiffened. He was wearing a turtleneck to hide his collar but when Jeremy turned to him, he could see a steady red light coming from it.

Then it all clicked together.

The gift of this demon and why he had never been seen on any surveillance. The static at the television and now the exploding collar. An electric pulse of some sort?

Jeremy wasn‘t sure and before he could piece it all together, he was grabbed. It was Geoff who pulled him back, away from Ryan who still stood there, frozen in place.

Oh my God, would it truly explode? He didn‘t want to see it but could do nothing to stop it, could barely pry his eyes from the picture but he had to. Behind him stood the man from before. Pale and a little shaky but with his lips pressed together tightly.

„I figured I sensed some of those damn collars,“ he said. „Disgusting things created by humans as if we‘re dogs!“

The man had a gun in his hand and in that moment Jeremy was sure that he would shoot. That he wasn‘t so much after Ryan, but rather after him, after humans.

His coffee dropped as he reached for his own gun and could already feel the runes glow against his skin. He didn‘t get the chance to pull it when he was thrown back.

There was a piercing pain somewhere in his chest and he felt how Geoff tried to keep him up but then he was slipping down. The floor felt hard as he hit it and funny enough the first thing he felt was his coffee that was still a bit too hot against his chilly skin.

Then someone was calling for him and he didn‘t know who. Ryan? No, he didn‘t think Ryan had moved much. He had to know that one wrong move and this guy could blow his head right off. So probably Geoff.

Jeremy tried to sit up to make sure, but then the pain came. It wasn‘t the worst he’d had, not yet at least, but it was like a heavy weight that pressed down on his chest and he feared it would give right in.

Then he registered the screams. Of course, the people around had noticed the gun now and were hurrying away.

„Fuck!“ Jeremy shouted and felt like that word alone had punched all his air out at once. Looking down he could see the blood pooling beneath his shirt.

Then there was a commotion above him. Geoff who surged ahead to grasp this guy. There was a second shot but Jeremy didn‘t know where it went. Somewhere glass was shattering.

The next thing he knew was that Ryan finally moved and also went for the guy.

Everything had happened so quickly, his coffee was still pouring out of his cup and burning his skin. Then Geoff was above him, blue eyes big in worry.

„Did you get him?“ Jeremy asked but Geoff didn‘t answer. He pushed down on his wound and Jeremy was sure he passed out for a second there. Maybe he also screamed but that was hard to say.

The edges of his vision were going dark and then Ryan kneeled next to him. His eyes were yellow like a cat and even though Jeremy‘s body felt like it weighed a ton, he wanted to move away from them. It wasn‘t human and the fear closed off his throat.

„Fucking Christ!“ Geoff spat out and that shook him a bit awake. Looking back down, he could see that not only his shirt was drenched in blood, it was also spilling into his pants. And onto the pier. And everywhere else.

„Oh shit,“ he mumbled because okay, that was a lot of blood. He tried to get a closer look but then Ryan was already picking him up, no problem. Jeremy felt a little like a doll and he wanted to protest, but he instantly went lightheaded.

Before they reached the car, he had passed out.

 

* * *

 

 

He resurfaced in stages. For the longest time it was only dark, a few sounds that reached him down here, but then a presence lingering above. His instincts told him to fight and get away but deep down he knew that he was hurt and wouldn’t win a fight.

All he could do though was force his eyes open and he found a stranger‘s face floating above him. Their eyes were black.

Jeremy opened his mouth, maybe to scream or something, he didn‘t even know himself. All that came out was a drawn out groan that made the stranger hesitate.

„Impressive. Not many people manage to stay awake during healing,“ Ray told him. „But you should really sleep through this. Makes it easier for all of us.“

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who showed up!
> 
> Final is next week (or already over on my Patreon, for the super eager ones~)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know who I am?”
> 
> He did. Ray’s hair was a bit shorter than in the pictures, but besides that he hadn’t changed all too much.
> 
> “Ray,” Jeremy brought out and then had to clear his throat.

Chapter 9

 

There was a crack moving through the white ceiling above him and his eyes followed it until it split into a few finer cracks. Jeremy didn’t know which one he should watch now and indecisive he lingered there.

His chest hurt. It hurt badly as if someone was pressing down on it and making breathing so hard. There wasn’t someone though; at least, he couldn’t see them or feel their hands.

There was, however, someone else in the room; he could hear breathing that wasn’t from him. Well, maybe. It was hard to tell because now as he paid attention to it his breathing sounded foreign to himself.

Something was moving in the room he was in and he wanted to turn around, but his head was just so, so heavy. This other person had to know because they were leaning over him now so that they could look at each other.

“You know who I am?”

He did. Ray’s hair was a bit shorter than in the pictures, but besides that he hadn’t changed all too much.

“Ray,” Jeremy brought out and then had to clear his throat. His mouth was dry and his head hurt.

“I saved your life,” Ray told him matter of factly. “But I didn’t heal you completely. I can take all your pain away or I can leave you to die here; that completely depends on you.”

Someone else called Ray’s name now, warningly, but Jeremy didn’t have it in him to think about that. That had been a lot of words and it took some time to work through them, but he thought he got it.

“I won’t tell,” he promised. There was no strength in him to put meaning behind his words, his breath too short for that and his eyelids so heavy. But he did mean it. He wouldn’t tell Pandora about Ray or wherever they were right now. That was a choice he had already made some time before and he wasn’t going to back down on it.

If only Ray believed him, because right now it didn’t look like it. That was fair, for him there was a lot on the line, a lot to give up for a stranger that was especially sent to find him and drag him back.

But then there was Geoff, and once he put a hand on Ray’s shoulder, the other relaxed.

That wasn’t an answer, not really, but Jeremy felt himself slipping away.

“Thank you.”

 

When he woke up again his head was clear and the pain gone. Shooting up into a sitting position, he reached for his chest but there was no wound, no blood, nothing. He was wearing a clean shirt and didn’t feel any pain.

It had been there though, a gushing hole right there, and he pressed down at the spot and winced. Pain shot through him, but it was pale in comparison to before.

“I left a bruise,” someone said and Jeremy turned around. Ray sat by his bed, hands folded in his lap. There was a little bit of blood on his shirt but he didn’t seem bothered by it.

Jeremy stared at him until his words made sense and then pulled his shirt up. Sure enough, there was a purple bruise on his chest.

“Pandora will find out about the shooting,” Ray went on. “It wouldn’t be good for any of us if you turned up without a scratch after that. Ryan went to your apartment and found a bullet proof vest. He brought it back, so please assure Pandora that you wore it because you had a hunch or something. I don’t really care, just make it believable.”

“Alright.”

They both fell silent and Jeremy took the time to look around. He didn’t recognize the room but by the layout it was one in the motel. It was dark now and only the lamp on the bedside table was on. In the small amount of light he could only see Ray, but as he looked deeper into the darkness, he found someone sleeping on a chair. Geoff?

Ray followed his gaze and a fond smile made its way to his face.

“I promised myself that I would return in case Geoff ever asked me to,” he said quietly. “My gift is useful and I always gladly used it for them. They have no say in this world and if they get hurt Pandora doesn’t care. I do. They are good people.”

He turned back around and his steady gaze was back on Jeremy. “When he called me today I didn’t expect that he would ask me to heal a human. Least of all the very person that was sent to bring me back to this place.”

“In case you’re wondering this isn’t part of a masterfully crafted plan to get you in my hands,” Jeremy assured him, and the corner of Ray’s lips twitched.

“I wouldn’t recommend getting shot without a healer nearby.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

Again Jeremy pressed down on the bruise and relished in the pain. That meant he was alive, that he was still here. Everything had happened so fast that he hadn’t really gotten the opportunity to feel scared for his life, but in his head that just made it worse. How easily he had slipped from everyday life to that.

Now though, he could shiver and look down at his hands, searching for blood. There was some traces of it, but nothing much.

“Thank you,” he finally said, because Ray was still just sitting there, clearly waiting for something.

Now he nodded, but didn’t say another word. It was a bit awkward and Jeremy looked around, searching for something.

“Am I back at the hotel?”

“Yeah, they brought you here as quickly as possible. I met them here.”

“Were you close by?”

“As if I would tell you.”

Jeremy was a bit taken aback by the hostility, but now that he thought about it he felt a bit stupid. Of course Ray would be defensive.

“Right. Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”

Ray’s face was hard and he clearly didn’t believe him, but he did sigh heavily.

“Listen, Jeremy. Geoff asked me to heal you and I did because I owe Geoff. Geoff also told me that they trusted you, but that doesn’t mean I have to trust you, I won’t. Thanks to you I am back at the place I finally ran away from.”

"Like I said, that wasn't really part of my plan."

"Doesn't matter."

Jeremy sighed. "Okay. I promise, Ray. I promise that I won't tell anyone that you were here or what truly happened, alright? We were on a mission and this guy shot at me. Thankfully I was wearing my bullet proof vest and just got a nasty bruise. Pandora can even look at it if they want to."

Slowly Ray nodded, but Jeremy didn't think he truly believed him. How could he? For him he was trusting his life to a total stranger. Before Ray could say something though, they both looked up as Geoff stirred.

"Fuck, my neck," he groaned and rubbed his shoulders. "I'm too old for sleeping anywhere that is not a proper bed."

"I told you that you could go to your room," Ray said, and something about his voice woke Geoff up fully. He looked up to him with a gentle smile before shaking himself. His eyes found Jeremy and Geoff was on his feet.

"You're awake! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Geoff. Ray patched me back up."

"Are you sure, because that didn't look like just a scratch!"

"Are you doubting my powers?" Ray asked. "Because I remind you that I did reattach your finger that one time while Gavin was puking over it. You think a bullet wound would be a challenge after that?"

Geoff stared at him before starting to laugh. Ray also grinned up to him and it made him instantly more sympathetic. With the hard edge to his face gone, Jeremy felt himself relax, even more so when Geoff pulled Ray into his side and messed with his hair.

"Good to see you again, buddy."

Ray answered but it was so muffled against Geoff's shoulder that Jeremy didn't understand it. He didn't have to.

"Have you eaten properly? Can you even cook? I can't believe I never asked that before I allowed you to go away! I should have taught you!"

"It's fine, Geoff."

"You say that, but pizza isn't a proper diet."

"Sometimes I also get burgers," Ray told him wisely, which only made Geoff hug him more fiercely. It seemed Ray had done that on purpose.

Jeremy watched them, feeling a bit like he was intruding on something, but couldn't help but smile at the same time.

"And you," Geoff turned back to him, the hand that wasn't pressing Ray against him, pointing at him now, "You never ever scare me like that again."

"Sorry."

"Has Ray told you about our little plan?"

"Yeah, don't worry about that. I'll play along."

Geoff nodded and didn't seem to notice how Ray fought against his embrace. He just held him tighter.

"That reminds me that I can't stay long," Ray told them. "Pandora will want to check this out, one of their men was hurt. They will send someone to look after Jeremy."

"You don't know that. Me and Jeremy can drive to Pandora tomorrow and explain what happened. There is no need to send anyone here. Right?"

Jeremy nodded quickly. "Of course! I can sent a message to Hogan right now, saying that I'm fine. He probably tried to contact me already."

Ray threw him a look that was maybe... hopeful? But then he lowered his gaze again.

"It's too risky," he mumbled. "Geoff, I can't do this."

"You have at least until the morning," Geoff promised and squeezed him tighter. "Lets go downstairs, alright? I smell food. Actual proper cooked food, how does that sound?"

Ray chuckled, but before he could say a thing Jeremy's stomach grumbled, which honestly was answer enough.

 

They didn't get to the kitchen before Gavin ran at them.

"Ray!" He nearly barreled Ray over as he jumped at him, every available limb wrapping around him.

"Hey Vav!"

"I missed you so!"

Jeremy stepped passed them to give them their privacy and found Ryan waiting downstairs. He relaxed visibly when Jeremy stepped in front of him.

"No matter how often I see someone after Ray put them back together again, it never gets less nerve-wracking," he told him and lifted his hand but didn't touch. "I'm glad that you're fine but please don't cut it that close again."

"Sorry. I'm happy that your head is also still attached."

Ryan touched the collar before nodding. "I prefer it that way. I don't think even Ray could have helped me then."

No, certainly not. The picture was still fresh in Jeremy's mind, the bright red light coming from the collar, that ominous beeping.

"What even happened after..?" He gesticulated towards his chest.

"I grabbed the demon," Geoff explained. "Nullified his gift, so Ryan could move again."

"Broke his spine," Ryan went on with a shrug. "I didn't really mean to but things happened fast and I'm not really sorry. He was too dangerous to keep around anyway if he could control those collars."

"It was like an electric pulse. He also controlled the TV and I guess cameras? That way nobody could really find him," Jeremy explained, and Geoff nodded.

"We think so as well. No way to really find out anymore, but maybe Gavin can take a look at his books."

"And what do we learn after this whole mess?" It was Michael who asked that as he stepped from the kitchen. "That you should fucking always take Michael with you. No bullets through my shields."

He smacked Jeremy's shoulder with a big grin. "Glad to see you back on your feet. Was a bit of a shock to see you being carried in here. I feared Gavin would get jealous."

With that he was gone, halfway up the stairs to meet Ray in a tight hug. They didn't talk, just swayed a little there as Ray buried his face in Michael's neck.

Jeremy quickly turned back around because he didn't think he was meant to see that. Instead he followed Geoff into the kitchen to allow Jack to worry over him, which ended in a big plate full of pancakes. Perfect.

“Hey big guy!” Ray called when he stepped into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s middle. Ryan didn’t touch him but looked down at him fondly.

“Good to see you. Kinda surprised you’re still alive.”

“You all have no faith in me. I can heal! It’s super hard to die when you heal!” Ray let him go in favor of turning to Jack. Both of them embraced each other tightly and without a single word.

It was nice and Jeremy had to smile as he watched them.

They all sat down afterwards, together. Talking and eating and laughing. It reminded Jeremy of simpler times when he would see his family more frequently, of dinner during the holidays but without the awkward relatives.

But maybe he was the awkward relative in this scenario. He was very aware of the fact that all of them had known each other for years and he was the new guy here. Still, he felt like he belonged. Ryan was on one side of him and Geoff on the other, probably because both of them needed to assure that he was alright the most. Both of them joked with him, kepping him in the conversation.

It felt nice.

Felt like home.

 

It was well after midnight when they dispersed and most went to bed. Jeremy didn’t really feel like it, not after today. He had nearly died today and that hadn’t sunken in yet.

There was a message from Hogan on his phone and he wrote back, assured him that he was alright and would drop by in the morning. Hopefully that would keep Pandora away from here for just a while longer.

He couldn't count on that and Ray couldn't either, so when everything grew quiet in the house, Jeremy knocked on his door. He half expected some of the others to be in there as well, but Ray was alone when he let him in.

When he noticed Jeremy's confused look, he chuckled.

"Besides Geoff nobody knows that I want to disappear from here by tomorrow morning," he explained and let himself drop on his bed away. "I should be on the road already."

"Why aren't you?"

"It's hard, that's why. It was hard back then and it's hard now." He smiled sadly up at Jeremy and then offered him the chair. Closing the door, Jeremy sat down.

"I contacted my boss and told him I would meet up with him in the morning," Jeremy told him. "I don't think Pandora will check this place out, so you should have some more time left here."

Ray didn't look at him but instead played with the edge of his blanket. He was turning it around his hands. Hands that could heal any wound. Hands that had saved his life today.

"Please don't get me wrong, Jeremy. These people here are my family," Ray said slowly, thoughtful. "But I don't want to stay here."

"Because it will only get harder with time?"

"That's part of it, sure. But even if I stay here without actively working for Pandora I would still have to watch. I would have to watch how one day Michael would not wake up again, I would have to watch how Jack will get so overwhelmed with work again that she will be locked away in her room for days. I felt it today, how her arms feel. Geoff is still forced to send Michael out, to give Jack those tasks. He has to watch them work themselves into the ground."

Now Ray looked at him, something very open in his face.

"You saw it as well, didn't you? You've been here long enough for that, but I've watched it for years while the same thing was happening to me. In my head it was always a question of who of us would be first. Jack or Michael? Myself? Or Ryan and Gavin because someone deemed them too dangerous, because a mission went wrong or someone forgot to push a fucking button at Pandora. It's... it's very stressful to say the least."

It was, there was no question about that. Still, Ray had to realize that those things were happening, with or without him here, but that was the point, wasn't it? Even with all his power, with those hands that could bring miracles, he wasn't able to stop it.

So why continue to torture himself over it and stay here? Knowing that one day he would also end up like that?

"Geoff wants to change it," Jeremy said slowly.

"I know and that's the reason why we all trust him so much, and I truly believe that he will bring the change, but not in time. Not before this team is all used up."

"I... I also want to change it."

That made Ray hesitate. He was watching him, searching for something, and Jeremy didn't know what. So all he did was sit there, looking back at him and knowing he was honest. He could tell Ray everything, what he had learned here and how it had angered him. After all, he was a human, and so he had a better chance than anyone else here.

But why waste his breath? Ray knew all that and more already.

"Do you know that I was a volunteer for this project?" Ray asked, and Jeremy nodded. He had read that in Ray's file.

"My family didn't want me to, but I didn't listen. Thinking about it, I would probably do it again. It wasn't like I had much of a choice." Finally Ray let go of the blanket and smoothed it back down. "I was born terminally ill, I was born to die. So I spent all my life mostly in hospitals, hooked up to machines and in pain. I hated it, I don't think I have to tell you that. But nobody can really understand how much I hated it. How much I hated growing up in white rooms, without going to school or meeting friends. There were other kids, kids like me, and I watched a lot of them die. I knew I could be next, but after some time... after years, that fear... it just dulls. It wasn't like I was truly alive to begin with."

He looked up with a small smile.

“That’s why I volunteered. As dark as it sounds, this was sure to end my suffering in some way, and to be granted this kind of gift...” He huffed, opening his hands. “For the first time in my life I felt powerful! Of course it didn’t take long for Pandora to take that power from me, but it took a few years until I truly understood that. Until then I was… yeah, happy I guess. I loved being here with these people, with people that were as much my friends as they were family."

"But you were still trapped, just not in a hospital," Jeremy said, and Ray nodded.

"It was better to some degree. I had Geoff and the others, I moved to different locations depending where Pandora needed me and I could help people, but... but with Pandora growing, they needed me constantly. I was moved around the country, could only sleep when they told me to, and I took it. I took it because I knew my gift was needed."

He stopped, eyes wandering around the room. Had he spent a lot of time in here? Somehow Jeremy didn't believe it. As much as Ray liked it, he wasn't allowed to rest here.

"Do you know that excessive use of your gift can lead to an allergic reaction?"

"Jack told me about it."

"It started to hurt one day. I was taking the pain away from people only to feel it myself. I took their injuries away only to experience them myself. Day in and day out."

A cold shiver worked down Jeremy's back. He hadn't known about that.

The shock must have shown on his face because Ray laughed, awkwardly.

"It's probably not as bad as it sounds. After all I know I won't die from it and it will be gone in a short amount of time. Also I don't have to experience the shock and emotional scars that a big injury brings along with it. I don't know what it's like getting shot but I know what it feels like."

"When you healed me... you took my injury and pain," Jeremy mumbled, and Ray just nodded. He fell silent ,but Jeremy was glad for that. He had to work through that because he felt sick. When he had woken up before, Ray had been next to him. There had been blood on his shirt but Jeremy hadn't thought much of it, after all Ray had taken care of him and he had bled quite heavily. But that hadn't really been the case. No, Ray had taken his wound for himself and... what? The hole had closed in Jeremy's chest just to open in Ray's?

He wanted to ask, to clear that up but he feared the answer. Deep inside he didn't want to know.

"In the end it was the same," Ray said, so quietly that Jeremy wasn't sure if he was even meant to hear it. "I was still trapped. Not in white rooms but in different places, and there was still pain. It wasn't my own pain, but pain nonetheless."

"And you decided to get out. To run away from Pandora," Jeremy said, and Ray laughed.

"I can't say it had never crossed my mind but I never thought about acting on it. The last time I had tried to escape something it didn't quite work out, right? Just a prison with different colors in the end. But Geoff... Geoff really tried to help me, to talk to Pandora, but I was just too damn useful, wasn't I? What is one life ruined when in exchange you can save thousands? How selfish would I have to be to demand that?"

Ray lowered his gaze, down to his blessed hands. It was still a doubt that he carried around with him, that was obvious.

"It is your life and in the end you have to decide what you do with it," Jeremy told him.

"That's basically what Geoff said to me as well. Just with a few more curses." Ray laughed at the memory. "And the next thing he blurts out is that he will get me out of there. Out of Pandora, and that everyone was ready to help me and they were. That... somehow surprised me the most. Everyone was sitting together, figuring out how to help me run away even though they were all trapped as well. Even though with me leaving, their jobs would get so much more dangerous. And still they did it. So Jeremy I'm going to ask you one more time: are you planning to sell me out to Pandora? Because if you do you are also selling out the people that are the most important to me and I will not allow to let you do that."

"I won't. I promise."

"Good." Ray looked up and his eyes were pitch black. He had seen the same with Gavin but here he could see no mercy, no hint of remorse. Those eyes were cruel and bare of any humanity.

"Pandora classified me as a category green demon which I always found laughable. The name of my demon is Sichora, and they are able to heal any wound inflicted on me. You can't kill me, it's impossible.”

Ray smirked. A cold, ugly smirk that made the hair on Jeremy’s back stand on end.

“On the other hand I can keep you alive for as long as it pleases me. You should not cross me in any way because you can't win. I will destroy you."

He believed him, every single word coming out of Ray's mouth. There were colorful glowing strings appearing around him now. They came from his joints and the back of his neck, giving him the look of a puppet ready to spring into action. A single string was wrapped around his throat like a noose, but he wasn't bothered by it.

What really made Jeremy believe it though, were the eyes. The eyes that assured him that they had done everything Ray was ready to describe to him and so much more, things that went far beyond his imagination.

They - _Sichora_ \- knew all the tricks.

"I'm on your side," Jeremy whispered.

Ray smiled, and when he blinked his eyes were back to his normal color. So he went on as if nothing had happened, "I didn't wear a collar or cuff just like most category green demons. We move around too much, it would be too much work and also we aren't dangerous, at least that's what Pandora says. We do have a chip though that I had to get rid of. Unfortunately Geoff is a baby when it comes to some things."

He laughed and reached toward the back of his neck, where Jeremy knew the chip had been. "He wanted to be the one to rip it out but I could already tell that he wouldn't be able to do that. Sure enough he chickened out, so just an advice, Jeremy. If you want to get shit done you better ask Jack."

"Geoff really thought he could bring himself to hurt you?" Jeremy asked amusedly.

"Right? No matter how often I assured him that I was fine and would heal, he was freaking out. So Jack took a kitchen knife and went to work."

Now they both had to laugh, no matter how grim that picture was.

"Did Geoff stay?"

"He tried to but Jack threw him out. I was quite glad for that because he was running all around the kitchen, panicking like a headless chicken. Jack on the other hand surely wasn't a surgeon, but she dug a bit around until she got the chip. I wonder if she still kept the knife..."

Jeremy snorted and Ray beamed at him. He looked more relaxed, like he was happy to get this story off his chest. Or because he hadn't been as relaxed as this story would make believe, because surely he had been scared. Wondering if this would be the right decision or if he would get into even more trouble. He was too useful for Pandora to get rid of, but the others? Not so much, and Ray knew that. Ray knew that if he got caught, Pandora would turn to the team instead of him.

Maybe not Jack or Michael because they were also useful, but the others?

Yeah, Jeremy could bet those were the thoughts that were running through his head as he sat on that kitchen chair and made Ray more nervous than Jack with the knife. And Jack with a knife was a pretty scary picture to begin with.

"And then you ran away?" Jeremy asked.

"Not right away. I kept the chip in my pocket for a while. I was moving around Pandora during that and I feared they would notice right away when I'd try to run away. So I waited until I was sent out on a mission to just... disappear. Throw the chip away and run."

"Where to?"

"Just away. I didn't really have a plan or much money. But everyone pitched together what they could and it was enough to give me a start."

"So now you're-"

"Alive?" Ray interrupted him. "Yeah, for the first time in my life I feel like I'm alive."

 

* * *

 

His meeting with Hogan went better than he had expected. Geoff drove into the city with him and they went through the story on the way there. He didn't join him in the meeting but Jeremy was pretty sure he did a good enough job - he even showed Hogan the bruise. It was of a deep blue with a red halo around it and when Jeremy pressed down on it, it hurt like a bitch.

It was real and that was their biggest proof of their story.

Hogan was buying it, at least Jeremy believed so. Still, as they drove back to the motel, he was quiet, sunken in his own thoughts.

Was it enough? Hogan believed him, but could he truly assure Ray that he could stay for a while longer? The answer was no.

What if there were witnesses of what had happened? The pier hadn't been crowded but people had been there, had screamed and some surely had called police. Pandora had access to that.

The cameras as well. They had malfunctioned thanks to the electric pulse, but Geoff had nullified that. Had they been back up already to show that Jeremy was on the ground, obviously bleeding? Probably. It wasn't hard to get that footage.

If Pandora decided to look into this, everything would fall apart.

No, he couldn't risk having Ray stay any longer.

"Ray was about to go away as soon as possible anyway," Geoff interrupted him because apparently he could read thoughts now as well. On the other hand it wasn't hard to figure out what Jeremy was brooding about. "He's too careful. You would be too if you had everything to lose."

"But he looks like he missed you guys so much. Everyone is really happy."

"We're happy because he's alright. We have as little contact to him as possible to keep him safe. Also we lived together with him for years, so it was quite a change to suddenly have him gone," Geoff told him. "We know it's better like this, but that doesn't make it easier to let him go. The same goes for Ray. The longer he stays, the harder it will be for him to leave. It wasn't an easy decision for him in the first place even though it should've been after what Pandora put him through."

Jeremy thought about it, then nodded. It wasn't hard to figure out but he didn't like it. Still, Geoff was right; it was for the best.

"I won't stay much longer either," he found himself saying and wasn't quite sure why his heart sank. In the beginning he had looked forward to getting out of that house but now it felt like an awful goodbye. "Looking from Pandora's perspective all I did in my time here was fail. Maybe they'll send someone else."

"Could be, or we can hope that they are fed up with that. Maybe they think you did all you could and leave us in peace." Geoff sighed and leaned his head against the window. "It would be nice to have some peace. Don't get me wrong, Jeremy. We were so fortunate to get you out of all the people."

“Not gonna lie, totally wanted to sell you guys out.”

Geoff started to laugh and Jeremy also smiled. It didn’t quite feel right because his stomach was all in knots, but it was better than thinking about his future. It wasn’t like he regretted his decision, he still thought it was right but-

“I don’t think that’s true though,” Geoff said slowly and surprised Jeremy looked up.

“What do you mean?”

“You selling us out. That was kinda your job. I’m not stupid, I know that Pandora knows we helped Ray and they are just searching for evidence. But the reason why you volunteered for it? I think it was because you wanted to know more. Maybe you were hoping to see demons in a different light.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, wasn’t even sure if Geoff was right, but the thought unsettled something in him. Yeah, maybe that had been the reason.

“Anyway, what I was actually meant to say,” Geoff went on and now turned towards him. His eyes were earnest as he reached over to lay a hand on Jeremy’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Jeremy. For everything.”

 

When they got back to the motel, Ray was sitting on the front steps, a backpack thrown over his shoulder. He looked like a kid waiting for the school bus, but Jeremy knew that wasn’t the case.

God, he hadn’t expected things to happen this quickly!

Geoff, however, did, because his only reaction was a deep sigh. He was the first out of the car and Jeremy hung a bit back, feeling overwhelmed and awkward.

Ray got up to greet Geoff and they talked. Jeremy was watching them and from here he couldn’t make out Geoff’s expression but Ray’s. How shaky his smile was, but his eyes… his eyes were bright.

Deep inside he also knew that it was the right decision and no matter how much it hurt… at least Ray had a life ahead of him. That was what gave him the strength to stand there and the strength to hug Geoff as tight as he could. There was a possibility that they would see each other again, that’s what they had to believe in. This didn’t have to be a goodbye forever.

Jeremy got out of the car when Ray let go of Geoff and came towards him. His mouth felt dry and he didn’t know what to say, how to bring all his thoughts into words to make the other understand. Maybe that wasn’t possible and maybe it wasn’t even needed, because Ray stopped in front of him, smiling.

“I stole some games,” he said and pointed to his backpack. “Even though I guess it isn’t stealing if they are my own fucking games, but you know.”

That… that wasn’t what Jeremy had expected and he gave a startled laugh. It broke the tension and Ray grinned. He was barely taller than him and was rather looking at his rundown sneakers than at Jeremy.

“You told me you wanted to change things for the demons,” he went on. “Geoff feels the same and as corny as that sounds, somehow that gives me hope. Like you two could somehow pull it off.”

“I’ll try.”

Ray nodded and threw a look back towards the house. “It will be too late for some of them, I want you to know that. You won’t be able to save all of them, maybe none of this team, and on top of that Pandora won’t take kindly to you.”

Yeah, he remembered Michael’s warning quite well. How he would suddenly become a new volunteer for the Nether if he stepped out of line. It had terrified him before and it still terrified him now but-

“It’s still a fight worth fighting,” Jeremy found himself saying, and this time when Ray turned around, he looked him in the eyes.

“It is,” he assured him and reached out to squeeze his arm with the same hands that brought miracles.

“Thank you, Jeremy.”

“You kinda saved my life, so I think I should be the one thanking you.”

Ray pondered over that for a second before nodding. “You know what? You’re right! And you’re welcome by the way.”

They both laughed, and then Ray went past him. With his backpack full of not-stolen games he looked impossibly young. Still, he didn’t turn around, didn’t look back.

No, he was on the way to get busy living again.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That even after that, it was still a fight worth fighting for.

Epilogue

 

Eight weeks after Ray left, Jeremy was sent on a hunt by Pandora. It was a category yellow demon, nothing too complicated, and he was acutely aware that he wasn’t really needed there. Every other hunter could’ve taken the job.

Sure enough, after he was done, he wasn’t sent back to that motel.

There were more important missions for him, Pandora said. There apparently wasn’t any hint leading to Ray in that house and it was a waste of time. The case was dropped.

Jeremy wondered if that was true, but he doubted it. With Ray’s powers? No, he was sure Pandora would never stop looking for him. Searching for the one who got away.

Hopefully wherever Ray was, he was hidden well enough to never be found.

As for Jeremy’s important new missions? He wasn’t sent out to any hunts after that last one. He stayed in Pandora with his very own little office and took care of paperwork. For Pandora he was compromised, even if not officially.

His special set of skills were needed elsewhere as Pandora put it. It wasn’t all a lie, he was one of few humans who had lived for such a long amount of time with demons. Pandora asked for his insights and that was exactly where he wanted to be.

Bettering the lives of demons would be an uphill battle and sooner rather than later Pandora would catch on, but for now it was working out. As long as he talked about productivity increases and training experiences Pandora didn’t care if it would also improve the living conditions of demons.

 

Six months later, he was just stepping out of his office to get some lunch when he hesitated. Six months of careful steps and even more carefully chosen words to work around Pandora. Six months without any contact to the team, no matter how much he yearned for any news at all, to see if the changes had reached them or not.

But in that moment in the hallway he saw the familiar red hair, longer than before but still-

“Jack?”

She turned at his voice. Seeing her in a suit was a bit weird, but her smile was still the same.

“Jeremy!”

She had been at Pandora for three days already, getting a new shipment of weapons ready and was just about done. It was clear in the pale skin of her face, the sunken eyes, but she was here and alive.

“Geoff is talking about the changes Pandora is implementing because of you,” she told him as they sat down for lunch. There was a café at Pandora and even though it wasn’t safe to talk there, it was the only place Jack was allowed to go, so it would have to do.

“Did they already reach you guys?”

“Oh no, they’re getting tested by some other team, but if it's a success it will be widely implemented.” Her hands were wrapped around her coffee. She wasn’t wearing her gloves; they were in a neat pile at the side of the table. They were new ones, longer than before. Now they reached well over her elbows and seeing that made his stomach turn. “But we are all very proud of you, Jeremy.  This will be huge for us. Gavin is talking about nothing else, so you have at least one fan out there.”

He smiled and hoped it was more convincing than it felt.

“How is everyone?”

Jack hesitated and he watched those fingers tighten around the cup in her hands. Why? Because she had to think about the answer? There could be people listening in on them, so he had no intention of asking about Ray, not that he expected to hear any news from her in the first place. But that should’ve been a harmless enough question, right?

“We will get a new member in a few weeks, so things will change,” she began. “I haven’t met them yet but Geoff will have a meeting next week here. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet him!”

“That would be nice.”

“As for us… we’re alright.” She gesticulated to herself but her smile was tight. “Holding on and stuff. Ryan was out on a mission and broke his leg out there, so he will be out for a bit. Gavin is taking care of him but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Sometimes Ryan throws me a look as if he wants me to save him, but Gavin means well and he isn’t hurting him further. So I leave them to it.”

Jeremy snorted. He was pretty sure Jack leaving them to it was rather Jack checking on Ryan when Gavin didn’t notice to make absolutely sure he was okay. She was way too much a mother hen to just ignore them.

“Geoff is busy as always, even more so with the new members coming in. He’s doing fine though.”

“And Michael?”

“Michael is asleep,” she said, and the knot in Jeremy’s stomach tightened until it felt like a ball of lead. Somehow he had known, had sensed that something was off the moment he had seen Jack.

“But Geoff-”

“Geoff can’t get him to wake up anymore,” she interrupted him gently. “Nobody can. Triella… Triella is keeping him in a sort of cocoon and lets nobody reach him. At least inside of there time seems to stand still, like he doesn’t need to drink or eat. He… does look healthy.”

Her eyes went down to her cup, to the coffee she hadn’t really touched yet.

“He’s alive. Sometimes he talks, but not to us. At least not to me, Gavin said Michael had called his name before, but Gav got no further reaction. So now we wait until he’s done dream walking. Until he finds what he's looking for.”

Pollux. That had been the name, right? The one Michael had searched for in the night.

Jeremy grasped his cup tighter and Ray’s words were still echoing in his head. That he wouldn’t be able to save them in time, maybe not even a single person from that team, and it hurt. It felt like he had failed, had left Michael out of his sight for just a second too long, and now it was too late.

“Miss Pattillo?”

A man in a suit approached their table and Jack’s smile turned stony. She put her untouched cup down and reached for her gloves on the table.

“I’m coming.”

Her hand laid on Jeremy’s skin, cold and metallic. But the squeeze she gave him was warm and human.

“Take care and stay strong, Jeremy.”

“You too.”

He watched her go, knew she would be taken back to that house until she was needed again. Back there, back in her home, what would she do? Well, he had just said so himself, right?

Jack would stay strong. She would help Ryan before Gavin could kill him with his care and would also amuse Gavin in his antics. She would take some of the weight from Geoff’s shoulders through just being there, an ear to listen and a mind with opinions.

She would sit by Michael’s bedside, waiting for a word or for him to open his eyes. Yeah, she would be very patient with that.

It left him feeling helpless, out of his depth, and he allowed himself to feel like that for a moment. Then he was back, pulling himself together. Because he still stood by his decision.

That even after that, it was still a fight worth fighting for.

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not 100% happy with the story but I'm glad I wrote it; my first experience with writing so much Jeremy and I hope you all enjoyed him! Placing him in the multiverse is kinda hard and I'm trying to introduce him more without making it too awkward, so here's hoping.
> 
>  
> 
> The idea and title for the story came from the manga "Pandora Hearts" which is a fucking master piece.
> 
> Lemme tell you, I read a bunch of books. Like a ton. Like I have a room at my apartment that's just shelves and called the library. Like I was in actual libraries that were not as well stocked as mine. 
> 
> Through all those books and stories Pandora Hearts has always sticked with me as one of the greatest.
> 
> Brilliant characters, incredible stories and that foreshadowing? Holy shit, get on that level! The mindfucks truly deserve the name!
> 
> If you get the chance be sure to check it out because I was inspired a ton by it. Not only for this story but the multiverse itself.
> 
>  
> 
> My next story is already going strong and you can find more infos about it here:  
> https://www.patreon.com/Kahnah
> 
> As always thanks so much for reading and the support!


	11. Playlist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- save my humanity -

**The Pandora Project**

_ Playlist _

\- save my humanity -

  
  
  


  
[Youtube-Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWQbs1V1HCsge5zl2t-W6lGkA3iE8VyCO)

[Spotify-Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/xldxnql2aybzu29ayv6cir873/playlist/24wRIc9yw884FIAKVkP32I?si=sIxXcfiJTquCsfLOj962MQ)

 

**Darkside** _\- Shinedown_

 

So welcome to the party, won't you please come inside?

Where habits have teeth and the words carry knives

You enter at your own risk, so don't be surprised

Welcome to the darkside

  
  


**Born Ready** _\- Zayde Wolf_

 

I am the unknown fighter

A dark horse coming for you

I'm gonna push up higher

I'm gonna do what I do

  
  


**New Blood** _ \- Zayde Wolf _

 

I spent my whole life chained to the wall

Hungry for more

Not afraid to fall

I had to cut a man down to get where I am

But someone had to tumble

And someone had to stand

  
  


**Weight of the World** _\- Hurts_

 

I've got trouble on my mind

I see the cracks in the open sky

I feel the lightning illuminate the pain inside

I don't know what I will find deep inside

  
  


****

**15 Min Flame** _\- Poets of the Fall_

 

If I act accordingly 

Will it save my humanity?

You're either you or a loyalty disowned

Well excuse me;

Who was it? 

Who wanted every sec of the fifteen minute flame of fame?

  
  


**Legendary** _\- Welshly Arms_

 

You know the truth can be a weapon

To fight this world of ill intentions

A new answer to the same question

How many times will you learn the same lesson?

 

I think they got it all wrong

We just gotta hold on

And on and on and on

 

'Cause we're gonna be legends

Gonna get their attention

What we're doing here ain't just scary

It's about to be legendary

  
  


**Evolve** _\- Shinedown_

 

In a room full of mirrors I figured it out:

I had to take leave of my senses

To draw my own conclusion

Had to swing for the fences

To find my own solution

In a world gone mad, it's all so sad

Look what we've become

Welcome to the age of the new evolution

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Find out how you can support me writing my stories and get early access to chapters:  
> http://kahnah23.tumblr.com/post/140765552875/patreon
> 
> It would help me a lot - thanks!


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